Ancient Legacies
by Sentinel of Legends
Summary: In the world of Remnant, many legends have grounds in truth, though they are scattered to the winds. If one goes back far enough, would they find the strands that tie them all together? Or would it be best if the legacy of the ancient titans that shaped the world be best left forgotten? Faunus Ruby, eventual White Rose and Bumblebee. Rating for later chapters
1. Chapter 1: End of an Era

**This is my first fanfic, I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Prologue/Chapter 1: End of an Era**

 **Ancient Times, Unknown Location on the Dragon Continent**

 _The winds swept across the field as a figure shrouded by a tattered cloak stepped towards the group of forty men and women in front of him, staff in hand, stopping twenty feet away from the cloaked woman leading the group. While the cloaks obscured their features, there were clear differences between the two. The newcomer, wearing a cloak the same deep blue as the midnight sky and held in place by a clasp in the shape of his family's crest, showed sorrow and exhaustion with each step, while the woman stood proud and regal in a jet-black cloak, sword at her side. The two stopped to remove their hoods, revealing that the man had black hair while the woman had white, before he pierced her red and black eyes with his own silver._

 _A sigh escaped him before he looked away, memorizing the faces of each member of the group in front of him and looking them in the eyes. While to many they were traitors and lunatics that needed to be stopped, they were still his family. He let out a sigh before looking back at the woman leading the group. "Salem," he said with a tired but wise voice._

 _"Aurelius," she sneered, mocking the man before her. "Have you come to surrender? To admit that you were wrong? That your_ solution _is nothing more than a lie?"_

 _Aurelius tightened his grip on the staff, eye glancing at the gem sitting atop it before he spoke, subtle anger in his voice. "You suggest we go against our nature, the very way we were made, when another way had already been found long ago! We're so close to finding the source of the Grimm and the Dust that powers our civilization has always served to defeat them!"_

 _Salem let out a mocking laugh. "You mean the Dust that has done nothing for the last five hundred years except hold the so-called threat at bay? Admit it,_ old man, _you and your ideas have been obsolete for a long time."_

 _The wind picked up as the gem turned a dark blue. "And this is your solution?" Aurelius waved a hand at Salem, "you don't even have an Aura any more, let alone the ability to use your Semblance! You don't even care about the humans and Faunus under you, all you want is the authority you were denied!" He glanced at the group behind her before continuing. "It's not too late for the rest of you, you know. You can still walk away from this and be welcomed back in Sanctuary with open arms."_

 _A few of the group looked at each other, uncertainty clear on their faces before Salem spoke up. "He's lying. Both his precious city and the triumvirate that rules it are weak, just like him. He hasn't even brought his precious daughters along with him!" The men and women behind her took a glance at him before returning to the group, drawing their weapons as they did so. "you see,_ Lord Aurelius _," Salem sneered, "you hold no power here. You will either kneel or you will die."_

 _Aurelius cast a pleading glance at the group before his shoulders sagged in defeat. "I see… I will take no joy in this, but you leave me no choice," he muttered before looking up at each of them again. "Salem, you and those who follow you have been declared traitors to the Kingdom of Sanctuary by the triumvirate! As the senior member of the Triarchy, it is my solemn duty to enforce judgement on you. If you don't return now, I will be forced to execute you."_

 _Salem smirked before gesturing to a young, rabbit-eared woman next to her in a white cloak and wielding a scimitar. "Kill him, let the world know how weak the council is," she growled before the girl nodded meekly and charged forward, blade raised overhead._

 _Aurelius let out a resigned sigh and opened his eyes, the calm silver replaced with a tempest as they shone brightly. "So be it, I'll try to make it as quick as possible," he said grimly before bringing his staff up block the slash, pushing her away in a blast of lightning. The rest of the group hesitated as a pulse of energy was released from the gem, turning the staff into a sword they all knew well._

 _"Hmph, so you brought along the Primus Lapis then, did you? A pity it won't mean anything, isn't it?" Salem muttered before the rest of the group charged at him, some of them pausing to awaken their own power as well before joining in, eyes shining. He swung the blade, cleaving through three at once before one of the more skilled warriors tried to impale him with a spear, forcing him to call on his family's Semblance as he exploded into a cloud of blue petals. A few others were quick enough to catch this and activated it as well, filling the sky with petals, while a few others were cut to bits by the unexpected move. Salem watched on as the battle continued, Aurelius deflecting sword strikes and using the wind created to make it impossible for the two archers in the group to shoot him as well as using Dust to force his foes back. As the numbers wore down, however, he managed to find himself cornered by three swordsmen, forcing him to split is focus between the fully awakened warriors._

 _He had just managed to end the third with a stab to the chest when Salem made her move, slashing him across the back. He let out a cry before he fell to the ground, barely keeping a grip on his sword as he glared up at her. "Perhaps I underestimated you, but then again, you've had far more practice than anyone here, Aurelius. In the end, it makes no difference. You still couldn't win, now you'll die, and I'll finally take that sword from you. Any last words?"_

 _He looked around to see if there was anything he could do, but knew there were too many left for him to fight his way out. With a sigh, he looked Salem in the eye. "W-we both know that Sanctuary and my family will live on no matter what happens. But you're still mad and won't stop until you've truly won, no matter how many people die. I might not be able to return, but I can't let you threaten them, either with your presence or your ideas." He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Salem, sounding content for the first time in the entire battle as they shone brightly. "Thus… Kindly, I scatter."_

 _A sudden explosion shook the entire field as a burst of energy consumed everyone, dead or alive. On that day, Aurelius Rose, the most powerful of Sanctuary's "Dust Sages" went into battle and sacrificed himself to stop a lunatic. With his death, Remnant's first kingdom crumbled._

 **Modern day, the City of Vale**

A young girl let out a frustrated sigh as she walked down the street to From Dust Till Dawn. Her black boots stomping quietly as her red cloak flowed behind her, resting on her shoulders with the hood up, obscuring her face. She wore a black, long sleeved blouse under a corset and a black skirt with red trim, along with dark red leggings. A belt with a Rose crest wrapped around her waist, holding her precious scythe securely behind her. Her tail swayed behind her sadly as she walked, her wolf ears pressed flat against her head. Ruby Rose, normally an energetic and cheerful girl, was not happy today.

"I know I have to wait two more years, but it's still not fair that I don't get to spend any more time with Yang once she goes to Beacon…" She stopped and took a deep breath, trying to think more rationally."I guess there's nothing I can do except keep training and practicing with Crescent Rose for now, it's not like I won't see her at all and the better I am when I get into Beacon, the better I'll be when I become a Huntress!" She smiled to herself before looking up at the store in front of her. "First, I need more ammo if I'm going to practice, maybe they have a copy of this month's _Tales from the Hunt_ too!"

The old man at the counter looked up at the sound of the door and smiled. "Ruby! I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?"

Ruby smiled at the man as her tail wagged a bit. "Hey Mr. Campbell, I've been good. I thought I'd drop in to say hello and pick up some more burn and lightning rounds. Do you have any?"

"I think I do, it'll take a moment to check, do you mind waiting?"

"Sure, I was going to look at the magazines anyways," Ruby responded before she went toward the back, putting on her specially-designed headphones and picking a song, sighing happily as "This Will be the Day" started playing. _"I know everyone says the Schnees are horrible people, but Weiss has a great singing voice."_ Ruby quickly glanced over the magazines before grabbing a copy of _Tales from the Hunt_ and skimming through it, looking for the section on weapons and upgrades, humming along with the song as she looked through it. _"Hmm, I don't think a flamethrower would work, and a grenade launcher would throw off the weight too much… Maybe I should look into increasing the caliber of the rounds more? Or maybe armor-piercing would-"_

Her thoughts were interrupted as someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, bringing her face to face with a man with a red sword. She let out a quiet sigh before taking off her headphones. "Yes?"

The man sighed before holding his sword up. "I _said_ , hands in the air, now!"

Ruby blinked in confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Are you… _Robbing_ me?" She asked incredulously. The man nodded before pointing the sword at her again. "Ohhh…" Ruby smirked as time seemed to slow down, and her mind went into overdrive examining everything about his stance, thankful her dual semblances of speed and improved analysis worked so well together as she moved forward, knocking the sword out of his hand and kicking his legs out from under him. Before he could hit the ground, she used all her strength to fling him toward the front of the store, certain that he was out for the count.

A moment later another thug walked down the aisle and pulled out a gun, causing her to grin as she grabbed him and ran toward the front of the store, flinging him through the window before following behind, grabbing Crescent Rose off her back before unfolding it with a twirl. _"Uhh, did I forget to turn off my music?"_ She made sure to subtly switch it off as she was swinging the blade of Crescent Rose into the ground, not wanting to ruin her moment before loading a cartridge of blanks. _"At least this will get my mind off things,"_ she thought happily as she looked back into the shop.

A man in a white suit with orange hair looked at her in annoyance. "Okaaay..." He glanced at the thugs surrounding him before letting out an annoyed sigh. "Get her," he commanded before they took off, leaving him to mutter to himself. "I'm not paid enough to deal with this…"

Ruby watched as the first thug charged at her, jumping as he made a slash at her legs and spinning herself around Crescent Rose to kick him in the face, pulling her scythe out of the ground and using the blanks to increase her speed, knocking one of the remaining ones onto the shop's roof before bringing the back of it down on another. Her Faunus ears picked up the sound of a gun cocking. _"Seven o'clock, maybe 5-7 feet?"_ She used her semblance to dodge to the side as he opened fire before coming around and sending him into the air with a strike to the legs, spinning around, and knocking him into the ground.

The man in white let out a sigh as he looked at the gang he brought with him. "You lot were worth every cent. _Truly,_ you were," he said sarcastically as he stepped over the downed man in front of him and dropped his cigar. "Well Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd like to stick around…" As he pointed his cane at Ruby she quickly noticed that it hid a gun. "…I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

Ruby was out of the line of fire before he could fire, watching as the bright flare-like blast flew out of the cane and wincing as it hurt her ears. _"Alright, so he uses Burn Dust for ammo, I'll have to make sure he doesn't hit anything important with it."_ As soon as she landed she looked around, seeing him climbing the building as Mr. Campbell came out of the store. "Are you ok if I go after him?" When she got a nod in response, Ruby quickly used her scythe's recoil to get up onto the roof behind the white-clad man. "Hey!"

The man let out a sigh and turned around. "Oh, for the love of- isn't it past your bedtime or something, kid?" Ruby couldn't respond as a Bullhead lifts out of the nearby alley and a searchlight momentarily blinds her. When she recovers she sees the man inside the Bullhead holding a Dust Crystal. "End of the line, Red!"

As he tosses the crystal, Ruby manages to get a look at the color and pales. _"Burn, if he shoots that…"_ She watches it hit the roof and looks back up at the man quickly, watching him lift the cane in slow motion. _"Most likely, he'll wait until it stops so he doesn't have to shoot twice, so if I grab it or jump out of the way…"_ Ruby jumps forward and snatches the crystal mid bounce as the man fires in her direction, jumping out of the way as a woman with a riding crop lands on the roof to stop the shot as he lets out an annoyed shout.

"Can't I catch a break even _once_ tonight?!" The man yells out as Ruby looks the woman over.

Ruby, on the other hand, was star struck. _"Oh wow, it's a real Huntress! N-no, calm down Ruby, don't look like an idiot, this guy's still a threat!"_ She shook her head and noticed the woman using bursts of energy to try and bring the Bullhead down before the man vanished into the cockpit. The Huntress made a gesture and a storm cloud formed over the Bullhead before ice shards rained down on it. A woman in red stepped out and made gestures, strange symbols appearing on her arms before she started flinging fire at the Huntress.

While the Huntress was more interested in blocking the blasts from the mystery woman, Ruby took the moment to look her over. _"What's with the symbols or glyphs? I'll have to keep an eye on that."_ A loud screech drew her out of her thoughts as the ground under the Huntress exploded. _"M-maybe I should be helping instead of watching…"_ The Huntress started to use the shards of debris to take down the Bullhead, only for the mystery woman to let out a blast of energy and destroy most of the debris as Ruby started opening fire on her, watching the woman casually stop the shots with her hand before creating more marks on the ground, causing her to roll out of the way before the roof exploded.

Ruby let out a sigh before looking at the woman next to her, tail wagging excitedly as her ears perked up. "You're a Huntress! Could I have your autograph please?" Her cheerful demeanor was shattered by the cold glare the woman gave her, ears and tail dropping. _"I-I'm in trouble now aren't I?"_

 **There's obviously going to be a few major differences with this, starting with the inclusion of (the now long dead) Aurelius and ruined kingdom of Sanctuary, both of which will have a major impact on the story moving forward. As shown by Ruby, people can have two semblances in certain situations, mostly in the case of a hereditary family semblance (as Ruby's Rose semblance will be for this and the Schnee Glyphs are for cannon) and a personal semblance unique to each person (in the case of Ruby, her semblance will give her increased situational awareness and make it easier for her to process, memorize, and learn things) but now many semblances will have aftereffects on the people using them if not properly mastered. This will be explained more later.**

 **I also decided to make Ruby a Faunus for this simply because it seemed to fit with her personal semblance and because I thought it'd give a few entertaining possibilities later. Let me know what you think of this.**


	2. Chapter 2: Migraines and Beacon

**Is it bad that I'm already working on this so soon? I feel like it is. Oh well.**

 **KibaPT: might want to make sure they aren't chocolate chip, or read the story for a few tips on that!**

 **Kickinstrom: I actually got this finished within about 10-20 minutes of your review. I figure I shouldn't make you or Kiba wait that much more.**

 **Chapter 2: Migraines and Beacon**

" _Doing the right thing is more important to me. If I have to choose between my ideals and my life, I'd gladly lay down my life to protect those who depend on me. Thus, Kindly do I scatter myself to the wind in their stead" -Last words of Adrienne Rose in a letter to the second triumvirate of Sanctuary._

 **Somewhere in Vale**

" _Someone, please kill me…"_ Ruby sat in a small, dimly lit room cowering with her ears flat against her head as the Huntress circled her. It wasn't the fact that she was being lectured about her actions or that she might be punished that was why she was miserable, she would gladly do it again if people were in danger. No, it was from the aftereffects of her semblances. Her wolf ears ached from the screeching explosive runes and her head pounded in agony, both a result of her analytical semblance, while she was still suffering from the time-dilation that was part of her speed.

"I hope you realize that your actions tonight…" The Huntress circled the table, either not noticing Ruby's condition or deciding it was a fitting punishment as the poor girl held her head in her hands, each step making a painful clicking noise. "You put yourself and others in great danger."

"Those thugs might have hurt someone anyways," Ruby whimpered. "Was I supposed to just stand there and watch?"

The woman stopped to look at her, making her look down. "There are still consequences for your actions. If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back…" Ruby's ears perked up and she smiled before noticing the woman grab the riding crop, moving her hands off the table before it hit where they were and whimpering at the sound. "…And a slap on the wrist! But… There is someone here who would like to meet you."

Ruby looked on in confusion as a grey-haired man stepped forward wearing a black jacket and pants with a green undershirt. _"I-is that Professor Ozpin? W-what's he doing here? Did I do something wrong, oh I'm in serious trouble aren't I what am I going to do-"_ Ruby's panicked internal ramblings were cut short as Ozpin put a plate of cookies in front of her.

"Ruby Rose," Ozpin stated before leaning over to look at her. "You… have silver eyes."

"U-uhhh, thanks?" Ruby blinked in confusion as he stood back up. _"What was that about?"_ A glance down at the cookies made her immediately reach for a chocolate chip one before stopping. _"Wait, I don't have my medication on me… Sometimes I hate being a wolf Faunus…"_ With a sigh she forced herself to grab a simple sugar cookie instead of her beloved chocolate chips and started eating.

"So! Where did you learn to do this?" Ozpin gestured at a screen the Huntress was holding, showing her recent fight.

"S-Signal Academy," she said meekly before grabbing another cookie, sighing to herself as everything started to finally move at the right pace. _"Why do I feel like they're testing me or something?"_

Ozpin looked at her in surprise. "They taught you how to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"

"W-well, one teacher in particular, my uncle Qrow. I was complete garbage before he started teaching me, but now I'm all…" Ruby had to stop herself for a moment before gesturing at the screen. "Y-you know."

"I see," Ozpin muttered as he leaned against the table. "So, what's an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"W-well, I want to be a Huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal before I can apply to Beacon! My sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress…" Before Ruby knew what she was doing she had already started rambling, trying to get everything out at once as she got more and more excited. "…I mean, the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and really-" Ruby let out a squeal "-you know?!"

While the Huntress didn't look amused, Ozpin hummed quietly. "Do I know who I am?"

Ruby took a breath to calm herself down. "You're Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon"

"Hello"

"Nice to meet you."

"You want to come to my school?"

Ruby smiled, but inside she was panicking. _"I-is he asking if I want to go to Beacon now? What do I do, if I say yes and he is I'll skip two years! But if I say no will he think I'm not serious about being a Huntress and deny my application when I leave Signal? But it is what I want, right?"_ After taking a deep breath, she answered. "More than anything."

Ozpin and the Huntress shared a look before he turned back to Ruby and the woman placed a stack of papers and pen in front of her. "Well okay, just fill out the application to make it official and we'll see you tomorrow." Ruby grabbed the pen and tried to keep her hand steady as she filled in the form, handing it meekly to the Professor as she finished. "I look forward to seeing you at Beacon Ms. Rose," he said as he got up and left, the Huntress leading Ruby out of the building.

Ruby took a moment to catch her breath before she smiled. _"I'm going to Beacon! W-wait, I'm the youngest person to ever be accepted to Beacon now, aren't I?"_ She let out a whine at the thought as she walked home.

 **Next day, on the ship to Beacon**

"Oh I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" declared a blonde-haired girl as she happily crushed Ruby in a hug, oblivious to the pain or embarrassment she was causing.

"Y-Yang! Please… Stop…"

"But I'm so proud of you!"

Ruby's ears drooped as she sighed. "Really sis, it was nothing, can we not talk about it?"

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees!"

"I'd rather be normal Yang, I don't _like_ having this much attention on me, you know that! The last thing I need is for everyone to think I'm special or something."

"But you _are_ special, Rubes." Before Yang could continue encouraging her sister, a news broadcast about Roman Torchwick's attempted robbery played, drawing her attention away while Ruby continued thinking.

 _"This is great, being a Faunus_ and _my semblance already made it hard enough to fit in, now everyone's going to think I'm a freak, nobody's going to talk to me, I'll be alone and miserable and-"_

"Rubes, you're overthinking again. Calm down." Ruby looked up and sighed as she realized she was pacing anxiously before walking back over to listen to the next news story, growling at the mention of the White Fang. Yang sighed before putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. Before she could say anything, the screen vanished, replaced by a hologram of a woman who introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch.

By the time her speech was finished, Ruby had stepped forward to admire the view below. "Yang, you can see Signal from up here, this is amazing!"

The sound of someone heaving drew their attention toward a blond boy before he ran past them, a bit of vomit dripping down his chin. "I guess the view isn't for everyone," Yang said with a smile.

"Well, it _was_ a nice moment while it lasted." Ruby noticed a smell and looked down, frowning slightly as her ear twitched. "Uh, Yang, you've got vomit on your shoe."

"Oh, _gross!_ " Yang cried out as she ran to the nearest bathroom, leaving Ruby to hum before noticing the curious look a boy was sending Yang's way. From what she could tell, he was probably about 18 and had brown hair. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and black pants. As he turned to see where Yang came from, Ruby noticed he had blue eyes. All in all, he was plain except for the look in his eyes.

 _"I-it's like he's staring right through you,"_ Ruby thought as he walked over and hummed.

"So, I take it you're a Rose then?" He asked, making Ruby jump.

"H-how do you know that?"

"Well, for starters you have silver eyes, which is pretty rare outside the Rose family. Secondly, you're wearing a cloak that's somehow moving in a breeze on a ship with _no air current_ , which suggests you have the Rose family's semblance. Third…" He lets out a sigh before continuing. "You have a Rose insignia on your belt."

Ruby sighed internally. "O-oh, right, I didn't think of that." _"W-well, at least it was something simple and not him being a stalker or something… Maybe he has a semblance like mine or something."_ Ruby held her hand out with a smile. "So, I'm Ruby, who are you?"

The boy hummed for a moment. "Ruby Rose. Interesting…" His gaze suddenly refocused, lifting the strange feeling he gave off before he shook Ruby's hand. "I'm Arthur Bisman, professor of-"

"Wait, you're a professor at Beacon? You must be an amazing Hunter to be teaching at such a young age!" Ruby was suddenly excited. If someone this young could have the skills to teach at Beacon, just how smart and skilled was everyone else? How skilled would _she_ be when she graduated?

A sigh broke her out of her thoughts. "Quite the opposite really, I'm not that useful in a fight, especially with my weak Aura, but I'm good at what I do."

Ruby tried her best to hide her disappointment. "And that is?"

A smile crossed his face. "Finding things, or information mostly. You see, I teach the class on Ancient History and Mythology. It's my job to search old stories for clues about things that have been lost to history, such as the origin of Dust, the history of Grimm, or long-forgotten civilizations such as Sanctuary on the Dragon Continent." Ruby felt a chill go down her spine at the mention of the only uninhabited continent in Remnant. "My semblance makes this easier. While it's draining, I'm able to look into the past, present, or future with some limitations to find small hints or fragments of knowledge, sometimes even actual events, then Professor Ozpin sends a team out to investigate and see if there's anything to support it."

Ruby blinked in confusion. "I-I see, so was that thing with your eyes just an aftereffect?"

"A… Minor one." He glanced out the window for a moment. "Sometimes I see things when I don't intend to. Sometimes I'm compelled to do things because of it. If you look around Beacon long enough or ask some of the other professors, you'll probably find a few examples."

"I… See." _"Alright, this is getting a bit weird."_ "Maybe I'll talk to you another time Professor Bisman?"

The professor blinked in confusion before nodding as Yang returned. "Of course, I suppose I should be going now. Good luck and let me be the first to welcome you to Beacon!" He quickly turned around and walked off, leaving the two sisters confused for different reasons.

"Uh, hey Rubes? Who was that?"

Ruby sighed. "Apparently one of the professors here at Beacon. I really hope they aren't all that weird…" Yang looked in the direction Bisman had left before turning back to Ruby. "D-don't ask, I'm not even sure _I_ know what any of it was about or if he was even telling the truth."

Yang looked around, scratching the back of her neck. "Okaay then, whatever you say Rubes." The two were drawn out of their thoughts by the feeling of the ship come to a stop. "I guess we're there, come on!" Yang turned and marched toward the exit, Ruby trailing behind.

 **Beacon Academy**

Shortly after stepping off the ship, Ruby couldn't help herself as she looked around. "Oh, look, that boy has a collapsible staff! And that girl has a fire sword!" A tug on her hood brought her back to reality.

"Easy there, pup, they're just weapons," Yang said, causing Ruby to sigh.

"They're not _just_ weapons, they're an extension of ourselves! They're so cool!"

"Aren't you happy with Crescent Rose?"

Ruby looked at Yang, mildly annoyed. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose. I just like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people…" Her ears drooped slightly as she sighed. "But better…" _"at least the weapons won't judge me."_

"Ruby, why don't you try making some friends of your own? Or, you know, meet a guy or girl, whatever you're in to."

Ruby looked up sadly. "But-"

"Speaking of friends, mine are here now gotta go catch up, bye!" Yang spit out too fast for Ruby to respond before getting dragged away by a group of people, spinning Ruby around.

"Wait Yang! Where are we supposed to go? Do we go to the dorms? Do we even have dorms?" She let out a sigh as she started to get dizzy. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing…" As she fell backwards, her tail brushed against something metal and she immediately activated her speed semblance, moving a foot back to catch her balance before standing upright. _"That could have been bad,"_ she thought as she turned around to see a cart loaded with metal cases.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

 **I'm going to cut it off here, I think I should try to keep these under 2000 words and this has already gone over that by a bit. A few notes first:**

 **If people find an interest in it, I'll continue to add small quotes at the beginning of each chapter where it's relevant, but if I do there will be a point where remembering these will fit the theme of the story. The concept of the "Triumvirate/Triarchy" that ruled the ancient Kingdom of Sanctuary is tricky to explain. The "Second Triumvirate" is the one that existed in the backstory part of the first chapter and is actually the one headed by Aurelius, as well as when the Rose family actually started to come into being. If you guys want me to continue with the quotes, you'll find that each one will have something to do with the backstory**

 **I know chocolate is toxic to dogs and probably every wolf Faunus, so I figured that in the world of Remnant there'd be at least** _ **someone**_ **who looked into and made a medication or something to deal with that. The alternative is a Ruby that never eats chocolate chip cookies, which for some reason doesn't seem right to me.**

 **Arthur Bisman is a bit of a harmless eccentric, but he does have a role to play in this, mostly as exposition of the lore for now. Also, the Dragon Continent (which I think I might just call "Draconys" or something, idk. Leave a review saying what you think of it and the story overall) will have a well-earned Bermuda Triangle reputation to most people in Remnant, and one of the places he** _ **can't**_ **turn his gaze to, but bring out a special kind of dread for members of the Rose family when it's mentioned in their presence.**

 **Let me know what you think is going to happen next by writing a review or sending me a message. A small line from the first chapter might give you a hint though.**


	3. Chapter 3: Of Idols and Friendship

**I can't stop. Send help please.**

 **Swainey6- ask and you shall receive, though I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out (read the note at the bottom for an explanation)**

 **Chapter 3: Of Idols and Friendship**

" _Dust is a truly amazing thing, Oscar. With a keen mind and a strong will, one can use it to change the world. If only it was held by people who were purer of heart…" -Aurelius to a curious boy before departing the port city of Point Refuge, capital of the First Triumvirate, 25 years prior to the formation of the Second_

 **Back at Beacon**

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ruby turned to see a white-haired girl with a lopsided ponytail standing nearby. She was wearing a white dress with a red trim around the collar and had a scar on her left eye, but Ruby only noticed two things. The first, the girl was _very_ angry and coming towards her. The second…

" _She's kinda cute, but her voice sounds familiar…"_ Ruby thought before shaking it out of her mind and trying to focus on the task at hand, ears drooping in embarrassment as she scratched the back of her neck. "S-sorry! I kinda lost my balance…"

"You dolt! Watch what you're doing, do you realize what kind of damage you could have done?!" The girl gestured to the cases, using it as an excuse to buy time to process what she just saw. _"How did she do that? There's no way anyone could have caught themselves in time to do that."_ "Each of these is full of Dust, do you know what that means?"

Ruby glanced at the containers. "Well, that depends on what kind of Dust is inside and how much was set off…" _"I swear I've heard that voice before… Wait."_

"Well, I'm surprised you'd actually know that, maybe next time-" The girl was cut off by Ruby's squeal.

"Oh my god you're Weiss Schnee aren't you?! Look, I know you're a Schnee and your family doesn't really like Faunus, but I'm a big fan of your singing! I can't believe I met you, I own all your albums, your voice is _amazing!_ Can I have your autograph please?!" Ruby gushed out, not taking a breath in between as her tail wagged happily behind her.

 **Meanwhile, in a White Fang base outside Vale**

A deer Faunus suddenly shuddered in the cafeteria, drawing the attention of the other occupants of the table. "Something wrong?"

He looked up at everyone else. "Y-yeah, I just got this weird feeling that a Faunus somewhere was praising that Schnee girl's singing to her face. Who the hell would do something like that?"

The other two at the table looked at each other before the cat Faunus in the group spoke up. "It's… Probably nothing… Maybe we should attack a music store and destroy all her albums anyways, just to be safe." They nodded to each other and silently agreed to bring it up with Adam at the next meeting.

 **Back at Beacon**

"U-um…" Weiss Schnee had come to expect many things when dealing with a Faunus. She had come to expect them to be idiots, for them to be hateful, uncultured brutes that only wanted to fight, or even for them to want to kidnap her to ransom off to her family or simply kill her. What she had never expected was to have an energetic wolf Faunus proudly declare herself to be her biggest fan, gush about her singing, and then ask for an autograph. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you look at it. She didn't have a chance to respond.

"You do know her family is more likely to throw you in a mine somewhere than show you any respect, right?" Weiss and Ruby looked over in the direction of the voice to see a girl walk up wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and a black vest over it, with white shorts and purple stockings under black boots. Ruby looked the girl in her amber eyes before a twitch drew her attention to the bow on her head.

 _"So she's a cat Faunus, at least I'm not the only one here,"_ Ruby thought before responding. "Just because that's what her _family_ would do doesn't mean that's what _she_ would do," Ruby started, surprising Weiss. "My mom once said you should judge someone as a person, not by what family they're from or who they associate with since every family known for their kindness and charity has someone that's cruel and heartless, just as every greedy family has someone who is caring and compassionate." Before Weiss could respond, the cat Faunus continued.

"Look, I understand that you like her singing, but you should really take a step back and think rationally for a minute."

"Are you saying you've _never_ been betrayed by someone close to you?" The girl froze, gripping her book tightly as she glared at Ruby. _"D-did I hit a nerve with that one?"_ "L-look, I didn't mean-"

 _"Never_ say that to me again, do you understand?" Ruby nodded meekly, ears drooping, while Weiss looked between the two before sighing.

"Look, I get that you two argue about this, but we're going to be late to orientation," Weiss said before walking down the path to the main building.

Ruby's ears perked up. "Can I walk with you, please?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Normally I'd say no" Ruby's ears dropped slightly before she continued. "But I _suppose_ I could make an exception if you tell me how you managed to avoid landing on my luggage cart."

"Sure! I'd be glad to!" Ruby ran up next to Weiss with a smile, tail wagging happily. "You see, my primary semblance is speed-related, so it's easy for me to react to things like that. The moment my tail brushed against something I activated it and used it to catch my balance, since I didn't know what was behind me and didn't want to risk getting hurt or damaging anything. It was a good thing to, can you imagine if I'd fallen on it and one of the canisters broke open, scattering powdered dust everywhere? I'd probably have sneezed and blown up the entire landing pad! Heh…" Ruby scratched her head nervously, head tilted to the side with one ear drooping. _"Good job Ruby, you meet your favorite singer in all of Remnant and now she probably thinks you're a star-struck, motor-mouthed klutz."_

Weiss nodded for a moment, trying her best to keep the slight frown on her face instead of smiling at the endearing look. "Most likely, just don't do that again, dolt." Ruby pouted slightly and turned away. _"At least she understands how dangerous Dust is and is willing to look past my family's reputation. Maybe I was wrong about the Faunus…"_ Before she could say anything else the boy from the ship stumbled off a side path, looking completely lost.

"U-uh, you guys wouldn't happen to be heading to orientation, would you? I got completely lost," the boy said sheepishly.

"Hmph, maybe you should pay attention and stay on the main path then," Weiss said, crossing her arms while Ruby hummed.

"Are you fine with him coming with us? We're heading there anyways," Ruby asked as Weiss let out a sigh.

"Fine, but if he gets too annoying, he's on his own, are we clear?" The boy nodded quietly before falling in step beside them.

Ruby smiled at the boy. "So, I'm Ruby Rose, who are you?" Weiss glanced at the girl next to her, suddenly realizing she hadn't asked for her name earlier.

"I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it," the boy said with a smile.

Ruby was doing her best not to laugh while Weiss scoffed quietly. "D-do they?" Ruby asked with a smile.

"T-they will… At least I hope so. I mean my mom always says that- never mind…" He went quiet while Ruby let out a small giggle while Weiss rolled her eyes. "So, who's the Snow Angel?" Jaune asked as suavely as he could.

Ruby glanced at Weiss, who seemed to be quickly losing her patience with the boy, before looking at him in confusion. "She's… Weiss Schnee."

"Who?" Jaune asked innocently, leaving Weiss glaring at him murderously while Ruby was left sputtering, trying in vain to understand what she'd just heard.

"W-Weiss Schnee, famous singer and heiress to the Schnee Dust Company?" _"Seriously, I know not everyone likes her music, but how do you_ not _know about the daughter of one of the richest men in Remnant?!"_

"Doesn't ring a bell, are making this up Ruby?" Ruby looked over at Weiss, who looked like she was ready to either gut the poor boy or berate him for his ignorance, before deciding to try another tactic.

 _"I swear, if he doesn't shut up I'm going to-"_ Weiss looked at Ruby in confusion, noticing that she'd somehow pulled out her scroll in the literal blink of an eye and seemed to be searching for something. _"She wasn't kidding about her semblance, was she?"_ "Ruby, what are yo-" Weiss' question was cut off by a song playing over Ruby's scroll as the girl held it up.

 _"They see you as small and helpless. They see you as just a child…"_

Weiss let out a sigh. _"Of course she'd have one of my songs ready…"_ She thought as she watched Ruby hum, tail swaying happily as she waited for Jaune to recognize the song.

"It sounds familiar, sorry Ruby." Ruby's ears drooped as she turned off the music and closed her scroll, putting it away.

Weiss ran a hand down her face with a sigh. _"Why do I have to be stuck with these two? I mean, Ruby's… Amicable when she isn't obsessing about my singing, but Jaune…"_

"You really are hopeless, aren't you Jaune…" Ruby said dejectedly before deciding to change topic. "Soo, I got this thing," She said before unfolding Crescent Rose and placing the blade against the ground, causing Weiss and Jaune to take a step back and shout at her simultaneously.

"Whoa! Is that a scythe?"

"Dolt! Be careful with that thing!"

Ruby winced. "S-sorry… But yeah, it's also a customizable, high impact sniper rifle," Ruby said proudly.

"A wha-?"

Ruby heard Weiss sigh as she pulled back on the bolt. "It's also a gun"

"Oh. That's cool!"

"Isn't that a bit overkill?"

Ruby smiled. "Well, it is at close range against most Grimm, but it'll take more than a few shots of basic ammo to take out an Ursa and it can't punch through anything with armor as thick as a Deathstalker… So what do you guys have?"

After Jaune showed off his sword and shield, Ruby turned her attention to Weiss, who let out a sigh before drawing Myrtenaster, causing Ruby to smile. "This is Myrtenaster, it's a Multi-Action Dust Rapier." Weiss put her weapon away before Ruby could respond and walked into the auditorium/arena.

Ruby followed her in and looked around before seeing her sister waving at her. "Hey Rubes! I saved you a seat!"

Ruby smiled and waved back before turning to face Weiss and Jaune. "That's my sister, I've gotta go. Talk to you guys after the ceremony?"

Weiss shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "Sure, I suppose I could find worse people to talk to…" _"Even though I_ really _wish you'd stop obsessing over my singing…"_

"But where else am I supposed to find a nice, quirky girl to talk to?" Jaune muttered under his breath, causing Ruby to turn and face him.

"I don't know, maybe you could start with the redhead about fifteen feet behind you that's been staring at you since we walked in?" She said with a smirk and watched him sputter and turn around before walking off toward Yang.

Ruby sat down next to Yang with a sigh, rubbing her head. "So, how's your first day going, pup?"

"Normally, I think I'd be mad at you from ditching me, but I think I can say that it's better than I thought it'd be."

"See? I told you'd be fine. Did you make any friends?"

Ruby smiled as she tried her best to avoid squealing. "Maybe. I met Weiss Schnee and managed to talk to her." Yang laughed at this.

"Really Rubes? You honestly expect me to believe you ran into your absolute favorite singer by sheer chance at Beacon on your _first_ day?"

"It's the truth though! I almost tripped over her luggage and blew up the docks, this other girl showed up and started saying I shouldn't be talking to her because she's a Schnee, and Weiss let me follow her over here, we helped the boy from the ship find his way over here and I made sure Weiss didn't kill him and-"

"You really don't know when to stop talking do you?" A voice asked behind Ruby, causing her to cry out in surprise.

"W-Weiss? What are you doing here?" Ruby asked while Yang went wide eyed.

"Well, the only seats left were next to you, Jaune, that girl from the docks, or a musclebound idiot with a giant mace that was harassing some girl. Of the four you're the most… _Bearable_ " Weiss said with a sigh as she sat down.

"Oh my god you weren't kidding, were you?" Yang asked rhetorically.

"Just don't gush about my singing while we're here. I've heard enough about it for today," Weiss said with a sigh.

"R-right, sorry Weiss. Hehe…" Ruby scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, but nobody noticed the pair of blue eyes gazing across the audience with amusement.

"Interesting crowd this year, don't you think Professor Ozpin?" Bisman asked.

"We do have a promising group of potential students today. Have you finished up the preparations for the initiation exam?"

"Yeah, just about everything's set up and we're ready to go."

"Good. And Arthur…" Ozpin glanced at his subordinate. "Please keep your antics to a minimum this year. We still have students dealing with the stress of your claim from last year that they'd get straight A's in Professor Port's classes if they could find a burn crystal, a stuffed Beowolf, and Oobleck's thermos before leaving the forest."

The man shrugged. "No promises, you need to keep them on their toes after all."

Ozpin let out a sigh as he took a sip from his hot chocolate. "Sometimes I wonder if having you around is worth it. Have you been able to find anything at least?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, there's an island off the southern coast in the Leviathan's Gulf, some natural harbor that a number of different sources call "Point Refuge." They all agree on the site and it has a bridge leading to the mainland, but it's not the most inviting places. From what I can gather, it's _bad_ , even compared to the other parts of the continent's coast, especially since it's in that part of the ocean, but it's the only landing site we haven't tried yet."

Ozpin let out a sigh before looking over the crowd. "I'll send a team and tell them that they're to take pictures before returning. If there's something there, I'll organize a proper expedition to look into it."

"Alright then. I'll get back to setting everything up. Good luck here, headmaster." Arthur walked off, a smile on his face at the thought of this year's prank. _"After all, Ozpin never said I couldn't mess with this year's group, just that I had to keep it to a minimum…"_

 **This is probably the best spot for me to stop for now. I need some time to think up a secondary semblance for Weiss before I can continue anyways, so I can't really proceed right now without having to rely on Weiss wanting to keep her secondary/personal semblance a secret.**

 **So yeah, a few things to note in this. Ruby's a bit snarky in this, or she will be as things progress, simply to balance out Yang's punny personality. (I'm not sorry) Don't worry though, she's still going to be quirky, adorable little Ruby as best as I can make her. There will be a few more changes, one of them will be implied in 1-2 chapters.**

 **Also, while Arthur Bisman might seem like a minor character because of the previous chapter, his obsession with Sanctuary means he'll be present for a lot of interesting things that happen… When he isn't teaching about stuff most of his students probably won't have an interest in or playing mind games with the students or staff at Beacon. Let's just hope his interest in the past doesn't give him any interesting ideas…**

 **If you have any feedback or suggestions, leave a review or send me a message and I'll respond next time I'm on.**


	4. Chapter 4: Cloaks and a Cold Start

**Here's another chapter for you, I hope you guys like it. First off, I've decided to just go with calling the Dragon Continent Draconys simply because it's shorter and I figure people will understand what I'm talking about. Expect references to it in chapter 1 and 2 to be changed shortly.**

 **Chapter 4: Cloaks and Cold Starts**

" _There are three rules a Rose must always remember when it comes to their cloak, Adrienne. First, you must never let it fall into disrepair, but must ensure each tear is properly fixed. Second, you must not remove it or leave it unattended around someone you don't trust and_ never _when you might expect a fight. Third, you must_ never _give it to someone else unless you have absolute trust in them, and even then, only in dire circumstances. "Better to lose my weapon than my cloak!"" -Aurelius, lecturing his granddaughter_

 **Beacon**

Yang, Ruby, and Weiss watched Professor Ozpin walk off the stage before Yang spoke up. "He seemed kind of… Off."

Ruby sighed before taking her eyes of the headmaster to glance at the other professor leaving, seemingly more focused on the old paper scroll in his hands than where he was going. "W-well, he _was_ talking to Professor Bisman-"

"Who?" Weiss asked, glancing at the duo as they looked at each other nervously.

"He's… Well, he claimed that he's "Professor of Ancient History and Mythology" but I thought it was just a joke since he said he was searching for places to land on Draconys…" Ruby started before swallowing nervously at the name. "…But it looks like he was trying to explain something he found, so maybe Professor Ozpin was distracted by it?"

Yang let out a sigh before patting Ruby's shoulder. "Maybe, pup, but I think we should head to the ballroom before all the good spots are gone." With that, she almost dragged her sister out the door. Weiss let out a sigh before following.

 **Beacon's Historic Archives**

Arthur Bisman let out a frustrated sigh as he stared down at the parchment in front of him. _"Of course it had to be_ there _didn't it?"_ He thought as he glared at the map of Draconys that most of his work was focused on. He couldn't remember how many days he'd spent tracking down the books, scrolls, and other texts needed for what Ozpin had requested, nor the countless hours spent reading over them and trying to find where each site they mentioned was on a continent that hadn't been explored in over two thousand years.

All along the edges of the map were various notes and seven different points along the coast were circled, all but one having an X through them along with notes about the failed expedition. Some simply vanished while for others only a few came back, spouting panicked and almost incomprehensible warnings before either dying or being put into heavy therapy and observation. _"Whatever forced the people of Sanctuary off the continent must have been terrible…"_ His gaze returned to the newest spot, Point Refuge, sitting in the middle of the dreaded Leviathan's Gulf. While many people feared the continent, the Gulf was known to be almost certain death to anyone who sailed into it. Along map leading from the point were three lines, each with a note referencing a different text. _"At least one of these was used by the people of Sanctuary to flee the continent through the Gulf, probably water too shallow for the Behemoth Leviathans to cross…"_

He let out a sigh before rolling up the map. There wasn't much else he could do and he could already feel a headache coming. His thoughts drifted to tomorrow's initiation and he smiled. _"Maybe looking at different maps will help me calm down. I might as well head over to Records,"_ he thought before getting up and leaving the room.

 **Beacon Ballroom**

Yang let out a sigh as she dropped to the floor next to Ruby. "It's like a big slumber party!"

Ruby looked up from the letter she was writing. "I don't think dad would approve of all the boys though…"

"I know I do!" Yang responded before seeing Jaune walk by footie pajamas. "…Some not as much as others."

"Can you two try to keep it down? _Some_ of us are trying to sleep!" Came a shout from nearby, causing Ruby to cast an apologetic glance at Weiss. The heiress had quickly learned that she had a number of fans in their group that weren't as willing to leave her alone a Ruby was, but found that they didn't want to get near the strange, yet friendly girl for some reason, leaving few choices of spots where she could actually sleep undisturbed. _"If only her brute of a sister would stop yelling!"_

Yang simply rolled her eyes before she glanced down at what Ruby was doing. "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal, I promised to tell them all about Beacon."

"Aww that's so cuuuute!" Yang squealed before getting a pillow to the face from Ruby while Weiss put hers over her head.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to Beacon! It's weird knowing hardly anyone here!" Ruby let out a sigh as her ears drooped, laying back down on her cloak.

"Well… What about Jaune? He's… Nice. And then you have Weiss over here-"

"I only see the two of you as acquaintances," She responded coolly.

"Oh… Well, that's still plus one friend Rubes! That's a hundred percent increase!" Yang said as Ruby rolled over.

"I'm pretty sure people like that girl from the docks count as a"negative friend." Back to zero," she said sadly, ears flattened against her head as she looked around the room. _"it's not like being a faunus on its own is easy, I'm two years younger so just about everyone thinks I'm some kind of genius or something, and with my secondary semblance-"_

"Rubes, overthinking. Calm down." Ruby looked over at her sister for a moment before taking a deep breath. Yang smirked at Weiss. "So, what's your secondary Ice Queen?"

"Don't call me that! And why would I tell you?!" Weiss shouted in annoyance.

"Well, I know Ruby told you about one of her semblances, don't you think it'd be fair to at least give a hint to what yours is?"

Weiss glared at Yang, trying her best to ignore the tail saying in the background as Ruby turned her attention their way before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm only going to show it to you once!" Weiss reached out to a nearby glass of water and put a finger against it. Ruby let out a shiver as she felt the temperature drop suddenly, her breath almost visible as the water froze instantly.

"W-wow Weiss, y-you can freeze things?" Ruby asked as Weiss wrapped herself up in a blanket.

"W-well, I can make the t-temperature of things drop, so yes. It's much harder when I don't have frost D-Dust to amplify the effect," Weiss shivered.

"Oof, temperature manipulation semblances are always harsh," Yang commented. "If it has anything to do with fire, you have to watch out for heat stroke or dehydration. I guess you have to worry about your own body temperature dropping too low, eh _Ice Queen?_ "

Weiss glared at the Blonde while Ruby stared at the two wide-eyed. "S-shut up! Don't c-call me that!"

"What? It's not my fault that I didn't expect someone who gives people the _cold_ shoulder would also have a literal heart of _ice_. Maybe that'd explain your… _Frigid_ personality?" Yang was trying her best not to laugh before Ruby chimed in.

"At least she doesn't have to worry about getting fireproof hair products and making sure she doesn't get within five feet of anyone wearing cologne or hair spray when she's in a bad mood," Ruby said with a smirk as Yang went wide-eyed and jumped up, glaring at her sister with red eyes.

"Ruby! You swore not to mention that!"

The sound of a lighter drew their attention to a corner where the cat faunus from earlier was sitting, reading a book. "Oh, it's her…" Ruby went to put her head down before Yang responded.

"You know her?"

"She's the girl from the docks that I got in an argument with. She probably hates me for being too "irrational" in her opinion," Ruby said, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe we should fix that!" Yang said before grabbing Ruby's hand and dragging her up, leading to perhaps the most confusing thing Weiss had witnessed since arriving at Beacon.

As soon as Ruby realized what was going on, she immediately went to grab the cloak from under her, but failed to do so before she was dragged away. Weiss watched out of boredom until a look of absolute _terror_ flashed across the faunus' face once her cloak was out of arm's reach before she struggled in her sister's grip. "Y-Yang! My cloak, stop! I can't just leave it sitting there!"

Yang looked over her shoulder in confusion. "Relax, Weiss will keep an eye on it, right, Ice Queen?" Weiss nodded slowly, still trying to process the sudden shift in Ruby's personality, and could tell Yang was in the same boat as her. Ruby looked at Weiss almost pleadingly as Yang continued to pull her along, the panic and fear still in her eyes as Yang marched over to the secret cat faunus. "Hellooo!" Yang called out as cheerfully as she could, still shaken by the previous event. Ruby stood next to her, glancing over her shoulder nervously occasionally as she shook. "I think you two know each other?"

The girl looked up at Ruby. "So, are you here to apologize for earlier?"

Ruby managed to calm down enough to respond. "Look, I didn't _know_ that was a soft spot for you, okay? Can we please just move past it?"

The girl continued to glare at Ruby for a moment before glancing down at her book. "Fine…"

Yang glanced between the two nervously. Meanwhile Weiss was glancing between the still-shaking Ruby and her red cloak. "So… What's your name?" Yang asked.

"Blake, now can I get back to my book?" Ruby tuned out the rest when she felt a chill go down her spine, making her turn around with a whimper as she saw Weiss grabbing her cloak. Her panic faded away as Weiss walked over, holding the cloak out for the faunus.

"Here, you're starting to-" Weiss was cut off by Ruby snatching her cloak back with a relieved sigh, hugging it against her.

"I-it's okay. It's okay…" She said quickly before muttering under her breath, low enough that she hoped nobody would hear. " _I'm_ okay…"

"What do you mean by that?" Weiss asked, causing Ruby to squeak.

"N-nothing! I didn't say anything, nothing's wrong, thanks Weiss! I'm going to go to bed now, good night!" Ruby rambled for a moment before rushing back to her mat, folding her cloak back up and laying on top of it while Weiss and Yang looked at her in confusion.

Weiss looked at Yang. "W-what was that all about?"

Yang threw her arms in the air. "How should _I_ know? She's literally never let it out of her sight before. Even when it needs to be washed she refuses to leave the room while it's in the washer or dryer. Her mom, Summer, was the same way, I just thought it was some Rose tradition that parents make their children cloaks and they become a security blanket kind of thing!"

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "We should probably get to bed too, we have Initiation tomorrow after all…" With that, Weiss went back to her own mat, trying not to think about the growing enigma that was Ruby Rose and her family.

 **Next day, at the cliffs over the Emerald Forest**

Ruby was _not_ having a good day. After listening to Professor Ozpin explain the rules of the Initiation, she swallowed thickly. _"This isn't good, the chanced I get paired up with someone that doesn't like me are so high…"_ She was drawn out of her thoughts as Ozpin gestured for Professor Bisman to step forward.

"To make this easier on everyone, I have been assigned the job of monitoring what happens and recording who each of you get paired with. If you try to cheat and keep looking after making eye contact with, I _will_ know." He glanced around before continuing. "Now then, a bit of history and information about the area you will be traversing. The Emerald Forest has, as far back as records exist, been in a state of perpetual summer. It's believed that the ruins at its heart, which you will be traveling to, are part of the cause, leading to several other anomalies in the area, such as the repulsion of most larger Grimm. We don't know much about them and very few are alive who can translate the writing on it. As such, for the safety of Beacon and Vale, it is advisable you don't do any damage to the structure or area surrounding it."

He gestured at a screen nearby before an image of the ruins appeared. "However, any pair that is able to bring back seven or more unique pictures of the writing will be given extra credit worth a five point increase on your final grade for this semester. Anyone who somehow manages to bring back a correct translation, even partial, will get the equivalent of an A on a test added to their grade instead." He gave a subtle smirk as the screen changed to show an overhead of the forest with two areas highlighted, causing some confusion in Ozpin and Goodwitch. "Also, it might be worth noting that you want to avoid entering these areas _before_ you have a partner. The only pairs that have been made in these areas have gone on to fall in love with each other and it's possible that this is another anomaly related to the ruins." The panicked cries of the students made him smile brightly before Ozpin sighed.

"Are there any questions?" Ozpin said before Jaune raised his hand. _"We need to get the test started before Bisman can do anything else to stress this group out…"_ "Good, take your positions!" The first few students were launched off the cliff.

"U-um, so this landing strategy thing… Are you going to fly us out or something? D-do we get parachutes?" Jaune asked nervously.

"No, you will be falling and we expect you to use your own landing strategy." Before Jaune could respond he was flung into the air, screaming as Ozpin took a sip from his cup, following Professor Goodwitch into the observation center. "I hope you have a good reason for that, Arthur."

"You know that it takes too long or me to translate everything, too many steps to it. The only people who remember _exactly_ what every word and glyph on that wall means are people who've been passing the knowledge down for generations. With a Rose here, we might actually _have_ someone who could do that, and if that's the case we could accelerate the process greatly."

Ozpin sighed. "I don't disagree on that. I meant why did you make up that lie about there being two sectors in the forest that cause people who meet there to form a deep romantic attachment?"

Bisman shrugged, watching Ozpin take a sip from his hot chocolate. "Technically I didn't lie. The _only_ people who ever got paired up in those areas in the entire history of Beacon were the members of team STRQ, and I'm sure you know how that went." He winced as Ozpin, caught completely off guard, sprayed his drink over two of the monitors. "Right, not like I need cameras 5 or 8 anyways…"

Ozpin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just get to work, and _why_ do you have that meaningless poem here?"

Bisman shrugged before gesturing at the touchscreen monitor that took up most of the wall, tapping a few camera feeds in succession. "Ruby Rose, last living member of her family, haunted by memories of a departed mother. Weiss Schnee, a girl who carries a weight on her shoulders and hides her loneliness under an icy demeanor. Blake Belladonna, a cat faunus shrouded in mystery since she literally came out of nowhere and even _you_ admitted to having no records of her. Yang Xiao Long, a girl with blonde hair that walks with a confidence many lack and has a semblance that could ignite anything she touches if she so chose… _If_ she didn't use the strength aspect to turn it to rubble. I know you don't hold these obscure ancient writings in high regard, but I think we have a team that fits it."

"Any other predictions then?"

"Well, from what I can tell Nora Valkyrie seems drawn to Lie Ren, so most likely she'll go out of her way to hunt him down. As for Pyrrha Nikos…" He stopped to bring up a camera feed of her throwing her spear, saving Jaune from certain death. "…She may need to pair up with Jaune Arc in order to even recover her weapon, which may or not be intentional on her part."

Ozpin sighed. "Very well, but if any of them meet up in either of those areas, _you_ will be the one to explain to them that you lied." He turned to watch the monitors. It was going to be a long day…

 **Well, this chapter's done, it was a bit tricky to write, so please give feedback.**

 **For anyone that's looked at a map of Remnant, what I call the "Leviathan Gulf" will, for this story, be the body of water just south of the dragon continent of Draconys. In this, the area is teeming with Leviathans, hence the name, with a few relatively safe ways through.**

 **Part of the sleepover scene is actually written to drive a point home: the little quotes at the top aren't just there for show, and not everything is as it seems in this story compared to canon.**

 **Bisman might seem like a jerk, but it's worth noting that not everything is what it seems with him, as future chapters will show. His antics aren't meant to be malicious and each one is designed to teach a lesson while giving him a chance to unwind from his primary project.**

 **I'm sure people will be able to guess what the STRQ reference was about. A few things in this, actually based off old writings tied to Sanctuary that were used as an opening for a song ("Red Like Roses," naturally) and the basis for another just because I thought it'd be interesting.**

 **Let me know what you think with a message or review.**


	5. Chapter 5: A Pact Formed

**I'm honestly surprised by how popular this story is after only three days. I'm glad people seem to be enjoying it so much and I'll try my best to keep the quality up. Also, I'd like to apologize for the lack of indents at the start of paragraphs, for some reason the site removes those when I upload a chapter and I have no idea how to fix it. The next two chapters are going to focus more on the formation of the two parts of Team RWBY than anything else.**

 **Chapter 5: A Pact Formed**

" _I will not abandon a comrade if they are too weak to fight. I will not abandon my post until those under my care are safe. I will not let down my guard in times of peace. If another chooses to die so I can complete my tasks, I will ensure their last words are heard and their last wishes fulfilled. I make this vow, in hopes that others would do the same for me." -Oath used by members of the Order of the Blue Rose and other groups defending Sanctuary_

 **Emerald Forest- with Ruby**

" _Finally, I can do something!"_ Ruby let out a sigh as she flew through the air, ears flat against her head as she watched the trees fly past below her. After a moment, she unfolded Crescent Rose and fired a few shots to slow herself down before hooking the scythe onto a tree branch, bringing herself to a stop. As soon as her feet touched the ground she started to use her analysis semblance to improve her situational awareness. Once she was sure the area was safe, she deactivated her semblance and started walking in the general direction of the ruins, Crescent Rose at the ready.

After a few steps she let out a sigh, shoulders sagging as the weight of her current situation sank in. _"I'm alone in a forest full of Grimm, trying to find a partner that can both help me and doesn't hate faunus or me in particular. Counting that Pyrrha girl, I only know five other people here, one of which already doesn't like me."_ She looked up at the sky for a moment as she thought. _"Pyrrha would be an obvious choice since I know she's a capable fighter and seems friendly towards everyone…"_ She frowned as she remembered Pyrrha's interaction with Jaune _"But it was pretty obvious that she's interested in Jaune… Except maybe to Jaune himself. I think I saw her spear flying through the air a little while ago, so I guess I know who she's going to look for."_

Ruby smiled lightly. _"There's Jaune. He's a nice guy… Except for maybe flirting with Weiss when he doesn't even know who she is!"_ Ruby took a deep breath as she felt her grip on Crescent Rose tighten. _"On top of that, he doesn't even seem like he'd be all that good in a fight right now, maybe he'll improve but I'm not sure I could help him there…"_

" _I know how Yang fights and we work, um, well together… But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to live through the embarrassment of her constant teasing and I'm pretty sure she used Ember Celica to fling herself closer to the temple anyways, so I doubt I'd be the first person she ran into…"_

Her ears perked up and her tail wagged slightly. _"There's always Weiss! She's even better in person than I expected considering she hasn't just brushed me off for being a faunus and if her fighting style is as good as her singing she's probably one of the best fighters here!"_ Ruby paused and let out a sigh as her ears dropped. _"But I'm pretty sure she's getting annoyed with me as it is and thinks I'm weird, especially after last night's incident… Maybe Yang's right, maybe I do overthink things."_

The sound of something growling behind her drew her out of her thoughts as she spun around to face the pack of Beowolfs with a grin, pulling out her headphones. _"Perfect timing, I need something to take my mind off things!"_

 **With Weiss**

Weiss had her eyes forward, scanning the trees to make sure no branches got in her way as she used her Glyphs as stepping stones on the way down. The moment she touched down she let out a sigh, rubbing her temples in an attempt to ward off the approaching headache. _"I can't believe I still don't have my Glyphs perfectly mastered. That should be my first priority so I don't have to deal with the mental strain."_ She started walking, going through a mental list of everyone she knew at Beacon in an effort to decide who she wanted to be paired with.

" _Pyrrha Nikos would be an ideal choice. Combining the her, the strongest girl in our group, with myself, the smartest girl, would create an unstoppable force…"_ She frowned slightly. _"But she seems to have an interest in that Jaune Arc boy for some reason and with his interest in me… No, the last thing I need is to worry about my being jealous of me because of a boy I have no interest in."_ She hummed quietly as she quickly continued down the list.

" _Jaune Arc would be the worst choice. His interest in me and general lack of knowledge would make him unbearable to converse with and, with his seeming lack of combat skill considering how he almost dropped his weapon just showing it to us, he'd probably get himself killed in a fight. Yang Xiao Long would be almost unbearable to deal with. She's so loud and her constant puns about my semblance are obnoxious!"_ Weiss took a moment to inhale, trying to avoid screaming at the thought of being partnered with either of them. _"That girl, Blake Belladonna I believe Yang said was her name, would probably be just as bad. I don't know how skilled a fighter she is and I don't really care, I'm not willing to risk being partnered up with someone that might decide to kill me in my sleep."_

She let out a sigh and pinched her nose as she reached the last name on the list. _"Ruby Rose… She might be willing to look past my family's name and reputation, but she's obsessed with my music, has a habit to rant randomly, and is probably_ the _most confusing person I've ever met. On top of that she wields a scythe. A_ scythe! _From what I've heard, there's no true middle ground with people who have_ that _kind of weapon. Either she's reckless and incompetent in a battle and could cut someone's arm off with a careless swing, or she's skilled enough to dominate a battle."_

After a moment, Weiss suddenly heard gunshots and howling in the distance. _"I only know about two people who have a gun as part of their weapon… Professors Ozpin and Bisman said we'd be paired with the first person we made eye contact with, not the first person we_ saw _, so there's no harm in investigating as long as I stay hidden."_ With that thought in mind, Weiss started carefully making her way through the forest.

A minute later, she found herself nearing the edge of a clearing and was greeted by the sight of a group of around thirty Beowolfs surrounding a red-cloaked figure as she loaded a magazine into her weapon. _"Ruby? Why aren't you running? I don't think I know_ anyone _in our group that could take this many Beowolfs on their own… Right?"_ Ruby, however, was smiling as she glanced around the group before spinning around, taking a swing at the nearest cluster and slicing three in half before another leapt at her, only for the girl to spin her scythe around and fire a shot at it, leaving a massive hole in its chest as Ruby used the momentum to move onto the next group.

Weiss watched wide-eyed as Ruby almost danced around the clearing, each swing or twirl of her scythe either moving her into position for another strike or preparing for a shot from the rifle. Weiss was able to see the girl's face briefly, a peaceful expression on her face as she moved between strikes. Weiss paled as she noticed the headphones covering her human ears. _"Seriously? She's in the middle of a fight and she's_ still _listening to music? I mean, her wolf ears aren't covered by them right now, but still…"_ Eventually, Ruby came to a stop with her scythe behind her, eyes closed as she let out a sigh, leaving her unaware as a Beowolf jumped out of the forest at her.

" _This is just what I needed, a bit of practice, a chance to unwind-"_ Ruby's thoughts were cut short as she heard something fly past her head, followed by a whine, causing her to turn around and get her weapon ready again. The moment she saw the ice shard embedded in the Beowolf's chest she started looking around. _"Where did that come from? I can't believe I let myself slip up enough that I didn't notice-"_ At that moment she noticed the other occupant of the clearing, rapier pointed in her direction, and blue eyes met silver. Ruby turned off her music and put her headphones around her neck. "Weiss? What are you doing here?"

"You complete _dolt!_ Who in their right mind listens to music when they're surrounded by Grimm? I've heard about your family liking to take risks, but I didn't think you were _this_ insane!" Weiss shouted before pinching the bridge of her nose while Ruby at least made the effort to look embarrassed. "And now I'm partnered up with a lunatic, this is just great…"

"Come on Weiss, I'm sorry! I've killed hundreds of Beowolfs before and needed to unwind! Music helps me calm down and I tune everything out in a fight sometimes anyways! You can't seriously be thinking of judging me from what you've seen in a day and a family reputation, can you?" Weiss blinked as she processed that before looking down guiltily.

" _Here I am, judging someone for their family when they're the only person who's never done that to me…"_ She took a deep breath. "Ruby, I-I'm sorry, it's just that I've never seen anyone do something that careless in a fight before. What am I supposed to expect?"

Ruby hummed before walking up to Weiss. "How about we make a deal then Weiss? Since we're partners now, I'll promise not to listen to music in a fight if you promise to trust me, and we both promise not to judge each other by our family's reputation, alright?" Ruby held out her hand and Weiss hesitated for a moment before shaking it.

"Alright, that sounds fair. Just don't call me Ice Queen like your brute of a sister and we'll be fine," Weiss said, causing Ruby to smile and nod in response.

"We should get going, we have to get to the ruins and grab a relic still after all, right?" Weiss nodded and the duo started walking into the forest. After a while Ruby smirked at Weiss, tail wagging slightly. "Hey, want to hear about why Yang has to make sure she doesn't get mad around people with cologne or hair spray?"

 **Observation Area**

"Fifth pairing has been confirmed: Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee," came the almost bored voice of Bisman as he glanced at Ozpin. "Considering their family's reputation and their backgrounds, that went better than expected."

Ozpin took a sip out of his mug before glancing at the man next to him. "Just remember our agreement. You now have to tell one-" Ozpin glanced at the monitor before continuing. "-make that _two_ sets of students that you lied to them."

Bisman looked at the monitors in confusion. "I guess you're right. Sixth pairing has been confirmed: Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos."

 **And that's where I'm going to cut this off for now. I'm not going to lie, I had large chunks of this story planned out in my head and then other parts I didn't even think about. I know, more or less, what I plan to have every character do in the last bits of volume 3's events, but then I'm probably going to have a few chapters like this where I didn't even think about it until after I started.**

 **Since someone commented on it I think I should point out that Ruby's relative isolation from everyone else isn't really because people don't** _ **like**_ **the Rose family in this, but because they don't** _ **trust**_ **them or think they're insane. More or less, the Rose family is the only group that tells many stories about Sanctuary, which is essentially an Ancient Rome/Atlantis hybrid when it comes to influence and technology. For most, these stories are ridiculous. This, combined with their unwillingness to talk about their family or its history, along with another thing that will be discussed in a later chapter, makes most people view members of the Rose family as highly enigmatic, possibly insane individuals. For a Rose, you don't reveal anything to "outsiders" unless you absolutely have to.**

 **This, of course, won't apply to Ruby since her mom died early on, meaning that the only information that would be passed on would be basic things every Rose is expected to know, mostly about their semblance, bits of knowledge that led to her freaking out in the previous chapter, a few Rose family traditions (which will be revealed later), and how to read and write in the language used by the people of Sanctuary, most of which would have been done through recordings. Ruby doesn't even know what the true power of her silver eyes is at this point. That doesn't mean Ruby will tell anyone most of it, however.**


	6. Chapter 6: Light and Shadows

**Next up is Yang and Blake, with the arrival of all the teams at the temple just to get things moving a bit. I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **Chapter 6: Light and Shadows**

" _While knowledge must be shared, there are some truths that are best kept in the shadows." -Aurelius to the other members of the Second Triumvirate, defending his refusal to discuss his discoveries in regard to Dust_

 **With Yang**

Yang smiled as she flew through the air, firing of blasts from Ember Celica to propel herself forward toward the temple. Unlike the rest of the group, she had a more relaxed plan. _"Most of the others are probably going to try to pair up on the way to the temple, so if I land nearby and wait, whoever I run into on their own near it_ has _to be a decent fighter, right?"_ She saw a clearing a short distance ahead and flipped around, firing off a few blasts to slow down before tucking into a roll as she hit the ground with a grin. "Nailed it!" After a moment to dust herself off, she started jogging towards the temple ruins before a growl caught her attention.

As she turned around, she came face to face with a pair of Ursa, causing her to grin. "Oh, are you guys looking for a fight now?" She clenched her fists and stepped into a fighting stance, ducking under a claw swipe from one of the Grimm before throwing a punch at it, pushing it back before she stepped out of the way of the other. "Geez, you guys couldn't hit broad side of a ba-" Yang watched a few strands of blonde hair drift down in front of her as her vision went red.

 **With Blake**

Blake jumped off a clone as she approached the ground, using it to get into a tree before looking around. _"I need to be careful who I run into. The heiress, Weiss Schnee, is someone I_ _will_ never _work with, even though I've already left the White Fang. Working with that Yang girl might be manageable considering who her sister is… But working with a Rose is suicide if she finds out I'm ex-White Fang."_ She shuddered as she remembered stories from her time with the Fang about the family and their hatred for anyone who deliberately injured an innocent. _"And with how widely the Fang attacked… It'd be a lie to say I haven't hurt people…"_

Her thoughts were cut short by a scream and explosion before the tree under her collapsed, forcing her to jump out of it and take cover. As she looked into the clearing ahead she saw a single Ursa backing away from Yang. "Nobody fucking touches my hair and gets away with it!" She roared before slamming a burning fist into the Ursa's face, causing it to explode in a fireball, causing Blake to pale.

The cat faunus looked around nervously. _"I-I should probably get out of here before she decides to level everything…"_ Unfortunately for Blake, she was standing between Yang and the ruins, meaning the moment she stepped out from cover the blonde turned, and enraged red eyes met nervous amber for a moment.

Yang blinked as she noticed the girl in front of her, or more specifically the bow on her head twitch. She smiled as her eyes returned to their normal lilac. "Hey there, kitty cat," she said cheerfully as Blake went wide-eyed.

"H-how-"

"Bow twitch, it's kinda easy to see when you spend enough time watching how a faunus' ears react to things. Not sure why you hide it though," Yang said with a shrug.

Blake let out a sigh before looking around. "L-look, I need you to promise that you won't tell _anyone_ ok? I know you grew up around at least _one_ Rose, so you have to understand that sometimes people don't like to talk about their past, right?"

Yang looked at her and let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. I don't know what your reasons are exactly, but I can respect that at least." She waited until Blake relaxed before continuing. "You'd better not eat all the tuna though, otherwise this could be the _purr_ -fect partnership."

Blake glared at the girl. "Okay, that's enough."

Yang grinned. "Nope, I'm going to _milk_ the cat jokes for all they're worth while I can. We're going to be the most _paw-_ pular duo in Beacon!"

Blake sighed before rubbing her forehead. This was going to be a long four years.

 **Observation Area**

"Seventh pair is confirmed: Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. Eighth pair is confirmed: Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie," Bisman droned on, a look of acceptance on his face.

"I'm not sure who I feel sorry for the most. Ms. Schnee for being paired with someone as unpredictable as Ms. Rose, Ms. Nikos for being stuck with Mr. Arc, Ms. Belladonna for being paired with Ms. Xiao Long, Lie Ren for being stuck with Ms. Valkyrie, or you for having to explain to six individuals why you lied to them in a way that doesn't lead to your demise," Professor Goodwitch stated, glaring at the man as he stared at the monitors.

"Don't worry, I've already written out my will. I doubt there's going to be a body to find if they _do_ kill me, of course…"

Ozpin took a sip from his cup. "Perhaps you'll learn not to do things like this to people who are training to fight the most dangerous creatures in existence."

"Well, that's debatable…"

 **With Ruby and Weiss**

Laughter filled the forest as Ruby stopped during her story to take a breath. Weiss, trying desperately not to smile, let alone laugh, was watching as her partner waved her hands wildly as she continued the story. "T-this was maybe the _fifth_ time Yang did this too! When everyone found out, w-we all joked for a while about how she learned to speak mummy! B-but the best part was when she got home from school the next day a-and found out dad bought a big, industrial freezer for her to practice control of her semblance's flame aspect a-and told her if she didn't "chill out" she'd be in big trouble!"

"Oh god, t-that's insane. H-how much damage did she do?"

"I don't even know, dad refused to tell me and nobody at Signal was willing to talk about it!" Ruby burst out laughing after this.

Weiss took a moment to gasp for air before she glanced at Ruby. _"Maybe the next four years won't be so bad after all."_ "S-so why the freezer?"

Ruby held up a finger and took a minute to catch her breath before responding. "Apparently if someone has a semblance that has to do with temperature manipulation or an aspect of it involves that, the best way for someone to train is to put them in an area that naturally has a temperature at the opposite extreme or something made to do that, like a freezer or sauna. The idea is that practicing in a freezer or a sauna lets you train longer with your semblance before you start to suffer from the effects of your semblance, such as heat stroke or hypothermia respectively. This gives you more time to work on both controlling what it does to everything else as well as regulate your own body temperature while you're using it. You could even do it in a normal room if the building has strong enough climate control."

Weiss nodded, filing the information away for later. "That's… Actually a good idea now that I think about it… The temple _is_ this way, right?" Ruby blinked before looking around, causing Weiss to sigh.

"M-maaaaybe? Hang on, let me take a look, I'll be back in a sec." With that, Ruby jumped into the nearest tree, using her speed semblance to get up faster before looking around. "U-umm, don't get _too_ mad Weiss, but we've been going the wrong way." She called out before dropping down next to her partner.

"Of course we were… It's going to take forever to get there now…"

"Actually… If you're feeling brave, I have an idea," Ruby said, watching a giant Nevermore circling overhead. Weiss looked up and let out a whimper.

"I'm going to hate this aren't I?"

"Maybe, but who knows, it could be fun."

"How long would it take to walk there?"

"About half an hour if we're lucky. Maybe ten minutes by Nevermore if it decides to cooperate or we manage to figure out how to make it move where we want."

"And let me guess, you think you can do that."

"Yep," Ruby grinned excitedly. "I'm sure it'll be fun!"

Weiss sighed. "Let's just go before I change my mind…"

 **With Jaune and Pyrrha**

"I have no idea where we're going…" Jaune muttered as he wandered aimlessly through the forest, Pyrrha in tow.

"Jaune, relax, we can't be too far from the temple," Pyrrha said as they passed a certain cave. "There's nothing to worry about. We'll get a relic and then we'll officially be students of Beacon."

"That's easy for you to say, you're some national champion right? I-I can't compete with that. All I wanted when I came here was to learn how to fight, keep people safe, and maybe find a nice girl to settle down with… I mean, I was thinking of maybe that Weiss girl, but I think Ruby's mad at me for not knowing who Weiss was, and for some reason that's very, _very_ scary…"

Pyrrha looked at him with a light smile. "Well, maybe you just need to look in a different place, or if you're determined, try to learn about her."

"Y-yeah… Maybe you're right Pyrrha. Thanks for the advi-" A loud crash echoed behind them before they turned around to see a massive scorpion behind them. "U-uh… Pyrrha, what's that thing?"

Pyrrha spins Jaune around before pushing him into the woods, weapon in hand as she started moving. "It's a Deathstalker. No matter what happens, keep moving!"

"O-okay!" Jaune cried out as he started running.

 **With Nora and Ren**

"Reeen, are we there yet? I'm boooored…" Nora said with a dramatic sigh.

"Nora, we've only been walking for ten minutes."

"It feels like it's been so much longer though!"

"Nora… Try to have patience, the last thing we need is for you to be distracted and we get-" Ren was interrupted as an Ursa charged into the clearing.

"Oooh, an Ursa! I wanna ride it!" Nora cheered before jumping on top of it, grabbing the sides of its head and yanking it from side to side to force the Ursa to do what she wanted before directing it in the direction of the temple.

"Nora, wait!" Ren shouted before chasing it down, having no choice but to grab onto one of the spikes on its back if he wanted to keep up. He spent the next few minutes hanging on for dear life, desperately trying not to get impaled on a spike as Nora wildly twisted the Ursa from side to side.

 **With Blake and Yang, at the Temple**

"Looks like this is the place," Yang said as they walked into the ruins, Yang taking out her scroll to snap pictures of the walls.

"Do you really think anything Professor Bisman said was serious? He came across as a joker, so how do we know his extra credit promise is real?" Blake said as she looked around.

"Well, if he was going to mess with us, wouldn't he do something more complicated? A scavenger hunt or something? Not make up a "if you take pictures of this place you're going to anyways, you get extra credit, just don't get partnered up in these areas" lie…" Yang looked around as Blake started taking pictures too, grabbing a white knight. "How about a cute pony?" She shouted across the building cheerfully.

Blake rolled her eyes with a smile. "Sure…" At that moment a roar came from overhead.

 **With Ruby and Weiss**

"Ruby! Do you even know what you're doing?!" Weiss shouted as she held onto the Nevermore for dear life while the cloaked faunus carefully moved along the back of the giant Grimm, occasionally hitting a spot with the end of Crescent Rose's handle to prod the creature to move how she wanted.

"It's fine! Don't worry! I figured it out a few minutes ago!" Ruby shouted, and it was true. Using her Analysis semblance, she had quickly learned where she had to prod the beast to make it move in any way.

"Are you sure?!"

"Positive! Just get ready to jump, okay?"

Weiss sighed. "I don't have a _choice_ do I?!"

"Nope! Get ready…" Ruby glanced down and stopped to judge the landing area before deciding it was too small for her liking. "Hang on, this'll be safer!" Ruby shouted before grabbing Weiss and flinging herself off the Nevermore with the screaming heiress. _"Focus Ruby, you can do this… Just focus on dispersing…"_ Her cloak disintegrated into a cloud of petals that surrounded the duo. _"Cancel the air currents… And create an updraft to slow us down before we die."_ The petals swirled around them, the wind moving with them as they slowed to a stop before quickly returning to Ruby and rebuilding her cloak.

While a wide-eyed Weiss stared at her partner, Ruby dropped to her knees and took a deep breath, feeling as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. _"Oh gods, if that's what I'll have to deal with to master this aspect I'm going to need to use Analysis to speed it up. It's too risky to use that part of it in a fight right now…"_

"Ruby? W-what was that?" Weiss asked as her partner caught her breath.

"P-part… Of my… semblance… is related to wind," the faunus gasped between breaths.

Weiss wanted to ask her partner about what she had seen, but hesitated. _"Her cloak literally fell apart and turned into rose petals… What the hell is going on? But… She wants me to trust her right? Maybe this is just a Rose thing and if I'm lucky she'll tell me eventually…"_

"Did your sister and Weiss just fall out of the sky in a cloud of rose petals?" They heard a voice asked before someone squealed and Ruby found herself crushed into a hug.

"Rubes! You finally did it didn't you?! You can _finally_ say you've made progress on every part of your semblance now! I'm sooo proud of you!" Yang squealed, unaware of Ruby turning blue.

"Y-yang… K-killing me… Need…"

"You brute! She looked like she was suffocating when she stopped! Let her breath!" Yang paled and let Ruby go, causing the girl to drop to her side and pant heavily.

"I-I'm soo sorry Rubes! I got excited!"

"I-it's… Okay… Yang…" Ruby wheezed.

Shortly after Ruby managed to catch her breath and wander into the temple, a roar ripped through the forest before a Ursa broke through the treeline with a girl on its back. "Woohoo! Yeah!" The girl twisted the Ursa's head roughly to the side with a crack before it dropped to the ground causing her to jump off while a boy climbed off, panting heavily. "Aww, it's broken…"

"Nora…" the boy panted heavily. "Please, don't do that again…" He looked up to find his partner and longtime friend missing.

"Ooooh!" Nora quickly picked up a white rook she found in the temple before dancing around. _"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"_

"NORA!" The girl was shaken out of her thoughts and grabbed the rook off her head.

"Coming Ren!" She skipped merrily over to her partner as Yang looked on, eye twitching while Ruby was more interested in the writing on the walls.

"Ancient Draconian…" Ruby said as Weiss walked in before turning to her, running her hand gently against the engraving. "This is the language the people of Sanctuary used, only a few people outside the Rose family even recognize it anymore."

Yang and Weiss looked at each other before Blake spoke up. "Um… I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention that, especially not a Rose." Ruby glared at her before sighing.

"I don't know much about my family's history, so I figure there's not much I can share that would do any harm."

Weiss stepped next to her before looking at the wall, scroll sitting forgotten in her hand. "Do you know what any of it says?"

Ruby hummed for a moment before pointing at a few spots on the wall. "There's a few names here. This word here is "Draconys," this is "Materia," one of the names for Dust. This is…" She paused for a moment, eyes wide before she took a step back. "…A-Aurelius, the Blue Rose…" She pulled out her scroll and set it to record, thankful that it had a high speed camera as she carefully swept the walls, getting what she could.

"Who?" Yang and Weiss asked simultaneously, the trio unaware of the Deathstalker that had just arrived.

"I've only heard his name once before myself, apparently he was one of the most knowledgeable of the Sages and a living legend for my family…" Ruby glanced to the side at her companions, a look of wonder in her eyes. "He was the first Rose, and if the way my mom sounded when she mentioned him, he was truly incredible."

Before anyone could say another word, Blake stuck her head into the building, followed by a panting and terrified Jaune. "We've got a problem," She said while Jaune grabbed a chess piece.

Ruby sighed and nodded before grabbing a piece. "I've got all of it, let's just get out of here before things get any worse!"

 **Observation Area**

"The white knight and white rook chess pieces have been collected. White knight team pairs: Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee with Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. Assigning team designation of RWBY. White rook team pairs: Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos with Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. Assigning team designation of… JNPR." Bisman said, watching the chaos that was ensuing around the temple with interest. "I have no idea how two Grimm of that size were able to get this deep into the Emerald Forest though. I might need to redesign the models to come up with an explanation."

Ozpin nodded before turning toward the door. "Very well Mr. Bisman, just remember to inform team RWBY, as well as Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos of your deception _before_ the team assignment ceremony."

Bisman sighed. "I'll remember… Even though I hate this part of the joke…"

 **I was originally planning to make the trip to the temple be part of next chapter, but if I did that this one would have been about 1100 words long, counting the initial notes at the top and bottom. It didn't feel right to just make this one so short to me, so I decided to keep going.**

 **For anyone curious, the freezer thing is meant to establish that Yang actually has full control over the temperature-manipulation aspect of her semblance, making her and possibly Blake (who probably uses her semblance far more often than the rest of their group) the only people on team RWBY that have a good enough mastery of their semblances to not suffer the downsides… Which may have a part to play later. It also obviously gives Weiss a way to practice her secondary. Expect a few fun moments from her in Volume 4.**

 **At this point, Ruby has about the same control over the speed aspect of her Rose semblance as in canon at this time, but other aspects are at various points of mastery. The most dangerous aspect of her primary will be the wind aspect, which will leave her short of breath when she uses it. What Yang and Ruby think is a single aspect is actually two: control over wind/air currents, and the petals themselves.**

 **The name "Aurelius" will have major power in this story. The fact that many of the quotes are tied to him in some way isn't a coincidence.**

 **The title "Blue Rose" will have come up twice now, once in the quote for last chapter and again in this chapter. The Rose family puts a great deal of symbolism in the colors of roses, using them to deliver messages and their cloaks are always a color that represents their character and what drives them. While the Rose family is able to grow them, blue and black roses aren't found in nature and appropriately only one individual has ever had a cloak of either color.**

 **There's going to be a few more bits and pieces added to the lore of this for semblances (such as the impact of elemental aspects in a semblance, what the difference between a semblance and an "aspect" of a semblance is, a general classification of them, and the strengths and weaknesses of each type) while many will be getting names, even ones from canon that are left mostly the same, so long as they didn't already have a name.**

 **I'd like to apologize in case this isn't uploaded within a day of the last chapter. I'm afraid I might have crushed my thumb helping someone lift something before I started working on this. As far as the doctor saw, nothing's broken, but I've got it in a splint. Luckily, it's only one thumb and I've practiced typing with one hand in case I broke an arm or something, so when it comes to this (writing helps me calm down) it's only a minor inconvenience. Being able to write with both hands and this are useful skills to have honestly. Still, don't be surprised if I decide to take a break today or tomorrow. Once it heals up, my plan is a chapter every day if possible.**


	7. Chapter 7: Mysteries and Triumph

**Here's another chapter for everyone. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. Just a warning: I've decided to give Nora's canon semblance a bit of an upgrade/redesign to make her more in line with the other characters that have an element aspect to their semblance (Ruby, Yang, and Weiss) so the Deathstalker fight is going to be a bit more fun.**

 **Chapter 7: Mysteries and Triumph**

" _Our world is one full of dualities: The two brothers and gods that created us; the light that drives us and the darkness that threatens to consume us; the Dust that protects us and the Grimm that hunt us; the pristine sun and once-whole moon… The Blue Rose and Traitor in Black… That which must be known, and that which none were meant to understand… With our swords, we protect a people. With our silence, we protect the world. We understand, but must never be understood. Of all our secrets we share only one: the most perfect corruption comes from within. It is our warning, in case we fail our eternal vigil against the night." -The code and values of the Rose Family, post-Sanctuary_

 **Emerald Forest Temple**

Ruby followed the others out as she glanced around, looking at the scene around her. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were trying desperately to defend against a massive Deathstalker as a screech overhead warned of the approaching Nevermore. "Yang, do you think you could punch through its armor?" Ruby asked her sister.

Yang frowned. "Not without maybe blowing up half the temple, and I don't think we'll be passing this test if I do that." Ruby sighed before pulling out Crescent Rose and loading a magazine, much to Weiss' surprise.

"I thought you said you couldn't punch through a Deathstalker's armor," Weiss said as she followed her partner into the clearing.

"I can't, but its eyes aren't armored, are they? All I need to do is blind it and, as long as we stay calm, it won't be able to follow us." Ruby embedded the blade of Crescent Rose into the ground before glancing at Weiss. "Could you watch my back for me?" The moment Weiss nodded, Ruby activated both of her semblances. Everything slowed down around her as she felt the wind on her. She watched a leaf almost come to a stop in the air before she lined up a shot and pulled the trigger. Crescent Rose shook as the bullet flew towards its target, piercing a glowing red orb before everything started moving again.

The Deathstalker let out an enraged roar as Ruby pulled back the bolt and chambered the next round, snatching the used casing out of the air. It was at that moment she noticed the shadow approaching and glanced to the side to see the Nevermore flying low over the trees, Weiss facing away from it as she scanned the sky. The moment Ruby saw the feathers start to rain down, she pulled her scythe out of the ground and quickly pushed Weiss clear before moving to take cover, but it was too late.

Ruby heard the sound of the feather tearing into fabric before it embedded itself into the ground, causing her to turn around with wide eyes. "N-no!" she cried out before trying to tug on her cloak, trying desperately to get it free, but unable to convert it into rose petals or pull it out without causing more damage.

Weiss, who had managed to turn around before it happened, felt a chill go down her spine at how Ruby had gone from confident marksman to completely panicked the instant her cape had been impaled to the ground. _"W-what's going on with her? She has the same look from last night…"_ Weiss shook herself out of her thoughts in time to see the Deathstalker closing in. She took a breath as she drew her rapier before stabbing the tip into the ground, a glyph forming around her before the Grimm was incased in ice. "Yang, help Ruby with the quill! I'll keep it in place!" she shouted over her shoulder before rubbing her temple, a dull throb already forming.

Yang nodded and ran over to Ruby before wrapping her arms around her. "Calm down Rubes, it's okay. I'm going to help you but you have to stay calm, alright?" Ruby looked up at Yang with tear-filled eyes and the blonde briefly saw red. She didn't know what was going on with Ruby, all she knew was that she _hated_ seeing her little sister looking so vulnerable. She took a deep breath to calm herself before grabbing the feather's quill and pulling as hard as she could.

The moment the tip left the ground, Ruby quickly yanked her cloak out from under it and whimpered at the fist-sized hole. "Nononono, this isn't good, what am I going to do?" Ruby started rambling for a moment before she took a deep breath and looked at the crowd gathering around her. "We need to get out of here. We have what we came for and we can't risk fighting them anymore," she said with a slight tremble to her voice as she took off her cloak, carefully folding it up and tucking it under her arm.

The group nodded and started to run into the woods. "Weiss! Wait!" Ruby called out to the girl as they reached the tree line.

The heiress let out a groan as she rubbed her forehead. "Ruby, we don't have ti-" She stopped as she felt Ruby put something in her hand and looked down, surprised to see an aspirin in her hand before Ruby offered her a bottle of water. Weiss took the bottle and swallowed the tablet with a sigh before the duo continued to run.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me back there… I'm not used to people going out of their way for me like that and I noticed you looked like you weren't doing too well. So, I guess your Glyphs cause you headaches when you use them?"

Weiss let out a sigh and glanced at Ruby before responding. "Yes, but I have two questions. First, what's with you and that cloak, and second, why do you carry a bottle of aspirin around with you?"

Ruby let out a sigh. "Well, my secondary semblance, Analysis, is purely mental aspects: increased situational awareness, photographic memory, improved learning, and even awareness about my own body functions while I'm using it… Which means I get crippling migraines when I use it. I try to take one before I use it simply so the aspirin is taking effect around the time the downside kicks in." Ruby held her cloak, still visibly shaken. "A-as for the cloak… I'm sorry, i-it's complicated and I can't tell anyone I don't _absolutely_ trust." Weiss' frustrated sigh drew her out of her thoughts before she smiled apologetically. "I promise that if I ever feel like I can trust you enough with it, I'll tell you, okay? I-it's just a Rose thing that I really can't just tell everyone about."

Weiss let out a sigh before she answered. "Alright, Ruby, I trust you…" Deep down Weiss was torn. _"I understand that there's things you can't share to just anyone, but I'm your partner Ruby. Trust has to go both ways, doesn't it?"_

Weiss was pulled out of her thoughts by a happy sigh from her partner. "There! Good as new!" Ruby said, a tone of genuine relief in her voice as she held up her miraculously flawless cape, causing Weiss to go wide-eyed as she put it back on. After a moment the Nevermore flew overhead, causing Ruby to glare at it. "Nox," Ruby growled, causing Weiss to flinch at how profane the word sounded on Ruby's lips. "I really want to kill that thing right now, I really do. If not for what it did, then because a Grimm that size shouldn't be this close to Vale or Beacon."

Weiss blinked at the sudden change in the faunus. "U-um… D-don't worry, I'm sure you'll get your chance…" Weiss muttered before facing ahead as they entered a clearing in front of a bridge. Just as they reached the bridge, the Deathstalker burst through the treeline, charging at them.

Blake looked over her shoulder and then across the bridge. "We can't all cross at once while both these Grimm are still around, we need people to stay behind."

Before Ruby could respond Pyrrha spun around, shield in hand as her sword turned into a rifle and started taking shots. "I'll stay here and try to hold it off!" she cried out before Jaune paused, turning to help her along with Ren and Nora. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang started moving across the bridge before the Nevermore dove down, smashing into the bridge and flying back up into the air. Yang watched it, igniting her gauntlets with a twitch before launching a fireball with a punch. While the other three were focused on the flying Grimm, Ruby looked around.

" _Yang can't hit it with anything strong enough to kill it without risking this temple collapsing under us, Weiss would probably freeze to death if she tried to use her semblance on something that big, I'm definitely not trying to bring it down with mine, and I don't know what Blake's semblance is…"_ Ruby's ears perked up as she noticed the ribbon attached to Gambol Shroud, causing her to look at the pillars nearby. _"If we can get it on top of that building by the cliff face, I might be able to slingshot myself up there and take care of it like that… But I'd need more momentum than my semblance can give me right now…"_ "I have a plan. Weiss, can you use your glyphs to boost my speed?"

Weiss glanced at her in confusion. "I suppose, but what would you-"

"Okay, good. Blake can the ribbon on your weapon stretch between those pillars?" As soon as the girl nodded Ruby continued. "Yang, I need you to see if you can make the Nevermore crash into the cliffside."

Yang grinned. "This is going to be fun isn't it?"

 **With JNPR**

Jaune nervously watched as Ren dashed around the Deathstalker, keeping it distracted with a barrage of gunfire. They were lucky enough that they'd managed to avoid being cornered on the bridge, giving them the chance to maneuver, but the advantage was already proving useless. "Nothing we have can break through its armor… There has to be something…" His eye was drawn to the stinger swaying over its body and the narrow, unprotected connection to the tail. "That's it! Pyrrha, the tail!"

Pyrrha noticed what he was talking about and smiled. "Right!" she said before flinging her shield at it, slicing through the scorpion's tail and dropping the stinger directly on it, cracking the armor slightly. Ren managed to jump into the air and catch the shield before throwing it back to Pyrrha.

"Nora, hit it!" He suddenly felt as though he'd regret his idea as Nora showed a psychotic grin, pulling a dark blue Dust crystal out of a pouch before charging forward.

"Pyrrha, give me a boost!" She shouted before jumping on top of the redhead's shield, timing a shot from Magnhild with Pyrrha's jump to get airborne. Pyrrha and Jaune watched as she soared through the air, laughing maniacally as she drained the Lightning Dust, electricity crackling around her.

Ren paled as soon as he saw what was happening. "Get clear! Now!" he shouted, causing the duo to run toward the tree line. The sound of a grenade exploding above was their only warning as Nora's hammer plummeted, striking the Deathstalker and releasing a massive blast of lightning, scorching everything within 20 feet. After a few seconds, the angry ball of lightning died down, revealing Nora standing in a crater, Magnhild over her shoulder as she let out a laugh.

"Remind me to never make her angry…" Jaune muttered before a roar drew everyone's attention back to the Nevermore.

 **With RWBY**

Ruby watched the Nevermore circle, Yang holding its mouth open and occasionally shoving a fireball down its throat before jumping away, leaving the Nevermore to crash into cliffside as Weiss surged ahead with her Glyphs. As Yang went to help Blake make the slingshot, Weiss jumped up and used a mix of her Glyphs and Flash Freeze to trap the Nevermore in place, quickly moving into position afterwards. Ruby smiled before jumping up, pushing Crescent Rose against the ribbon as Weiss used Gravity Dust to pull it back. "O-only you would come up with this plan," Weiss said with a smirk, trying to hide the chills her semblance caused.

"Yep. Just make sure you don't miss. I kind of like my insides where they are, thanks." Weiss simply rolled her eyes and launched her partner forward with a gesture, a trail of petals behind her as she fired off Crescent Rose to increase her speed. Just before Ruby could touch the cliff face, Weiss created a line of Glyphs going up the cliff, with Ruby landing on the first one. The faunus girl hooked her scythe under the Nevermore's neck and started running, relying on her semblance, the Glyphs, and constant fire from her weapon to increase her speed. As she reached the top of the cliff, the Grimm's body became trapped under the outcropping and she fired her rifle one last time, slicing clean through its neck and landing on top of the cliff, looking over the valley below as her cloak flowed in the breeze.

Weiss stared on wide-eyed at the sight, vaguely remembering an old story her grandfather, Nicholas, once told her about an encounter he had with a Rose. _"I guess he was right… Maybe they really_ are _more like protectors than the reclusive lunatics everyone claims they are…"_

"Well, that was a thing," Yang muttered next to her. "I… Wasn't sure it'd work that well." She glanced at the other two. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's get up there and get back to Beacon!" This finally snapped the others out of their trance as they quickly went to work, searching for a way up the cliff.

 **Cliffside Observation Area, With Bisman, RWBY, and JNPR**

"Hey teach! We got those pictures you wanted!" Yang called out as the group walked into the building, noticing the blank screen on the back wall. "What's that about?"

Ruby immediately noticed Bisman pale as he glanced to the side. "W-well, I'm supposed to keep track of where everyone met up and, um… Look, don't be mad at me!" He quickly turned the screen on and was met by varied reactions from the crowd. Yang started sputtering while Blake and Jaune went wide-eyed. Pyrrha did her best to stand at the back of the group, desperately trying to hide her blush. Ruby was staring blankly at the screen, while Weiss…

"WHAT?!" the heiress screamed as she stared at a point with her picture next to Ruby's right in the middle of one of the so-called "romance" zones in the forest. Nearby was a point with Jaune's next to Pyrrha's while a point in the other zone had Yang's picture next to Blake's.

" _T-there's no way this is serious… Right?"_ Was all that was going through Ruby's head before she looked at Bisman. "You lied, didn't you?" The way Ruby said it made it sound more like a statement instead of a question.

Bisman sighed before he looked around the room. "I-I have this tradition every year. During initiation, I pick one thing that I use to mess with the prospective students. Sometimes I scatter random objects around the forest and promise them extra credit or excused absences from certain classes, other times I might make up rumors about a larger-than-average Grimm that's entered the forest. I-I do it to keep everyone on their toes."

Ruby nodded, trying to keep her thoughts off the map. "So, you picked two random areas in the forest and made up a legend about them?"

"N-not quite… I looked at maps from previous years' Initiation tests, looked into the history of each team, and found out only a single pair was ever formed in either of those locations, both of which went on to form a single team… And the members of each pair _did_ end up falling in love. The odds that anyone from this year would get paired up in those areas was so low I figured I could use that, not have anyone paired up there, and when someone looked into it they'd find that I wasn't entirely lying."

Ruby hummed for a moment. "So, you do this not only for your own amusement, but to teach the initiates a lesson." Bisman nodded while the rest of the group looked at her in confusion and she glanced around. "Think about it, we could be sent on overnight missions with Grimm nests, unstable ground, some other hazard that would be dangerous for a lone Huntsman or Huntress at night. Or we could be sent into an area where there's a possibility of a giant Grimm, or sent to retrieve some old artifact and be paid extra for finding others in the area. A Huntsman or Huntress needs to be smart and hold their own in a fight, but they also have to be _alert_ and know to stick together in dangerous territory. He said something would happen that most people wouldn't want to deal with if they were paired up in those areas, even if it was minor."

The others glanced at each other wearily before muttering an acceptance of Ruby's explanation as Bisman sighed. "Now then, before I can accept any of your extra credit, which I will be counting as double in apology for my… Deception… I need you to present your relics. Also, since the eight of you are most likely exhausted after fighting two giant Grimm, neither of which _should_ have even been there, I'm allowed to give you the option of either receiving your team assignments now and being dismissed for the day to rest, or proceed to the ceremony… Which won't start for another hour or two." At the chorus of groans, he nodded. "Very well, everyone please show me the relics you collected." Once he saw them he slid his chair over to the nearby monitor.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Since you collected the white knights, you will be assigned to a team, designation RWBY. Your team leader will be Ruby Rose." Bisman cleared his throat as Yang happily hugged Ruby, noting Weiss' lack of a reaction. "Your dorm room will be 315 in building C, it's on the left-hand side of the path to the docks from the courtyard." Once he received a nod from each and handed them their keys, he glanced at the other four in the room. "Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie. Since you collected the white rooks, you will be assigned to a team, designation JNPR. Your team leader will be… Jaune Arc." He glanced at the surprised boy with a sigh. "Ozpin decided who the leaders would be, I just came up with the designation. If he says you're the leader, he must think you have the potential to be one. Anyways, your dorm room will be 316 in building C. I trust you heard me explain where it is to team RWBY, correct?" When they nodded he handed them each a key, making sure to drop it into Nora's hand when he saw a spark arc off her. "If you have extra credit, please transfer it over via the terminal behind you on your way out."

He was about to turn away when Ruby spoke up. "P-professor Bisman?" He glanced back at her expectantly. "You said we get extra credit for a translation of the texts in the temple, right? W-would it be okay if I hand that in another day?"

He blinked before smiling. "Of course. I'm honestly surprised anyone can actually read that. Even a partial translation would help me out with my work since I've collected a long list of old Draconian texts." When she smiled back he glanced at the group. "Go get some rest. Classes start the day after tomorrow." The group cheered as they left, leaving Bisman to slump into his chair. _"Thank the gods. I have no idea how I'm still alive right now…"_

 **And this chapter is done. Bisman just** _ **barely**_ **dodged a bullet there. I thought I'd use this chapter to have some fun with Nora's new and improved semblance. Since we're on that, I'll name off a few of the canon ones that have changed and how they've changed.**

 **Yang's semblance, which will be called "Dragon's Fury" for this, still centers around flames and strengthening her attacks when she's hit. However, it's split into three aspects: elemental for the flames and, obviously, increased strength, which can be triggered independently but are tied together by the third, a reactive trait that amplifies them whenever she's hit. Her flame aspect, when active, causes her aura to radiate heat, with each hit she takes causing a burst of extra heat, slowly cooking anyone that attacks her. Actively, she can use this to set things on fire at a range of up to 5-20 feet, depending on how many hits she's taken. In the story, she actually uses this semblance and a special type of dust to ignite Ember Celica instead of standard Burn Dust. Her strength aspect is mostly unchanged, except that she can choose to use her Aura to fuel her strikes if she hasn't taken any hits.**

 **Nora's semblance, which I'm calling "Discharge," is mostly based around an elemental and strength aspect as well, in this case, lightning/shock. As in canon, she can absorb electrical attacks and use them to strengthen her muscles, but she can also build up a static charge, either through everyday activities or by converting part of her Aura's energy, for the same purpose. More than that, however, is what was demonstrated in this chapter; Nora is able to store an electric charge, regardless of its source, and use it for offense or defense, either creating an electrical shield around her, directing a burst of lightning at a target, or releasing it in a single hammer strike for immense damage.**

 **By far the most complex "canon" semblance is Ruby's primary/family semblance, which I've started calling "Rose Storm." I'll actually be leaving the explanation of how this one works, and the specifics about how semblances function in this story, to Bisman in the next chapter. Yes, the new teacher I added in will actually be** _ **teaching**_ **finally. No, there won't be any scenes of him making anyone's desks explode or anything.**

 **The quote at the beginning of the chapter is meant to be a bit grim. Remember, Ruby is the last Rose left alive, meaning that if she dies, the "eternal vigil" it speaks of will come to an end without anyone knowing what they were standing guard against. Not even** _ **Ruby**_ **understands yet, though she now has something that might tell her…**

 **Please leave a review if you have any questions or input. I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8: Bisman On Semblances

**Here we are again. I know I'm putting this chapter out early compared to the most recent ones (about a day, give or take 2-3 hours, between each) but this is basically going to be a "lore dump" chapter, more or less this story's equivalent of canon's "World of Remnant" videos. I also forgot to mention in the last chapter that Ruby** _ **can**_ **speak a bit of ancient Draconian and that some words that are normally tame (such as "nox") are, at best, borderline profanities when used by the Rose family for their connection to the "Traitor in Black." So yeah, basically I made Ruby swear in a more or less dead language and then casually forgot to mention it. Oops…**

 **Since this is a lore dump chapter, I've decided that when I** _ **plan**_ **to do them, I'll try to get them done first thing in the morning when I wake up, post them, and then take a break before releasing a normal chapter later in the day. For the time being, any chapter that starts with "Bisman: On" for the chapter name or "Bisman:" in the chapter selection will be a lore dump on the topic. This will change at some point, unless I happen to get all the pre-volume 4 relevant lore explained before late volume 2-early volume 3. If the format of the chapter titles changes, I'll be sure to let you know ahead of time. I know a few of you, such as FrisbeeDog, are really interested in the lore I'm putting in this as well, so I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8: Bisman: On Semblances**

" _The Rose Storm is one of our family's three powerful advantages over the Grimm and those who threaten us and those under our protection, but you must learn caution when using it, lest you find your comrades and charges dead by your own hand after a battle" -Aurelius, attempting to teach a young Rose how to use their family's semblance_

 **Beacon Academy, Professor Bisman's classroom**

The members of Teams RWBY and JNPR sat quietly as the watched the man at the front of the class try to organize a haphazard pile of books, maps, and scrolls on the long desk just in front of the wall, thinking back on their day of relaxation. Ruby had awakened her team early to unpack and organize the room, giving them time to socialize as they worked. Weiss had been dismayed to find that the faunus girl wasn't lying when she claimed to have owned every one of her albums, both digital and physical copies in some cases, but was surprised to discover a sizable collection of books, mostly on history. _"Then again, if she knows so little about her family, maybe she's hoping that she'd find out something about them? I-I feel sorry for her if that's the case…"_

Once the room had been organized and they found there wasn't enough room for the beds, they attempted to make bunk beds. A glance at Weiss's nervous face had Ruby scurrying out of the room before she came back, announcing that the Academy's staff would be bringing in proper bunk beds for them. The rest of the day was spent setting the beds up before going to eat and explore the Academy or, in Ruby's case, work on translating the writings from the Forest Temple.

The class was drawn out of their thoughts as Bisman let out a sigh and stepped around the desk, apparently giving up for the time being. "Alright everyone, allow me to introduce myself. I am Arthur Bisman, Professor of Ancient History and Mythology here at Beacon. It's my job to teach you about the less well understood parts of Remnant's history in the event that it can become useful to you. Today we will be speaking about something _relatively_ simple and well understood: semblances and how they work." He walked over to the board on the wall and started writing.

"First of all, we need to discuss "aspects," specifically, what they are, the difference between them and a semblance, and how they form a semblance. An aspect is a single trait that can fit into exactly one of a number of categories. This could be something as simple as increasing a person's strength, or as complex as bringing entire objects or beings into existence. The categories used for identifying the function of an aspect are Speed, Strength, Mental, Elemental, Perception, Illusion, Transition, Transformative, Summoning, and Reactive. Except for Reactive aspects, each one has downsides tied to it if it isn't mastered." He took a deep breath before going into a quick explanation of each.

"A Speed aspect is one of the more complicated categories due to the fact that it has to be measured and sub-categorized on a number of things: a target for the effect, the precise degree of enhancement, the presence or absence of a time-dilation effect, and the degree of time-dilation. A Speed aspect usually takes the form of either a speed-increasing effect applied to the user, but could affect others instead, as well as _decrease_ the target's speed, however, no Speed aspect can both increase _and_ decrease the speed of a target. The effect is easily measured by having the user or a willing target run a certain distance without the effect and then run it again, allowing a relative measure of the strength of the effect. Speed aspects that increase speed often involve a time-dilation effect, allowing those affected by it to react more easily to what happens around them and to their own momentum. This is measured by having the target count out the number of seconds they think passes for ten seconds outside the effect, then combining this into a ratio of perceived-to-real seconds."

"Speed-increasing semblances without a time-dilation are known to cause issues with movement when people can't react in time to avoid crashing into things, while ones that have a time-dilation are notorious for the "time lag" as the effect gradually wears off. For people who have little or no experience with a Speed aspect, it can also cause muscle strain or tearing for the first few uses. Transition aspects are generally a Transformative/Speed hybrid category, allowing near-instant movement over short distances, even though solid objects, but with similar downsides to both."

"Strength aspects are generally the easiest to understand: they increase the user's strength or, rarely, allow them to decrease the strength of others. The downside to a Strength aspect is usually an increased rate of fatigue as well as muscle strain early on, similar to Speed aspects."

"Mental aspects are aspects focused on the mind: they can be anything from improving a person's ability to process information, to increased learning speed, to more sensitive senses, to even precise, conscious control over the user's body. I remember once seeing a Huntress lose her right hand in a battle and, within _minutes_ of waking up after treatment, taught herself how to write and work with her left hand. She went so far as to claim she had simply altered the nerve pathways in her brain and arms in such a way that everything down to the muscle memory was mirrored onto her left arm and hand. Summoning and Transformative aspects are sub-categories that allow the user to either conjure objects, creatures, or people they've met into being in the case of Summoning, or reshape their bodies or other targets at will in the case of Transformative. While this gives Mental aspects a clear edge in most situations, they're also ranked number one in threat to an inexperienced user."

"This is because, unlike many other aspects, the downside doesn't start to take effect immediately, but appears as soon as no mental aspect is being used, building up the entire time they're active. The downside of use is a headache with severity ranging from a dull throb to a full-blown migraine. Even more distressing, Mental aspects are the only category besides Speed and Transition aspects that's been confirmed to be "non-unique," meaning that a semblance can have _multiple_ Mental aspects that need to be mastered individually and accelerate the buildup of the backlash effect. It's entirely possible for someone with multiple Mental aspects to slip into a coma or experience complete memory loss of the timeframe during which one was active if they use a number of them for too long, making it advisable to train with an individual aspect instead of all of them at once."

"Elemental aspects are ones that allow a person to manipulate their bodies or the world around them in ways normally associated with Dust usage, with minimal or no requirement to actually use the related type of Dust. Temperature-manipulation is a common example where a person gains the abilities of Burn or Frost Dust, allowing them to alter the temperature of their body, the air, or objects around them in a controlled way, either increasing or decreasing it. It also allows them to make objects melt or combust if tied to Burn, or freeze and extinguish objects if tied to Frost. Two other examples are Wind and Lightning, sometimes called Shock instead. Not only does an elemental aspect allow someone to use their abilities without the related dust as they become more capable, but they provide immunity to their own usage and make a master immune to the effects of same and opposing elements."

"Elemental aspects are unique in the fact that they cause changes to the surrounding area even when inactive. The Rose family's semblance has long been suspected of having a Wind aspect due to the fact their cloaks move in an air current that only exists around the user, for example. Another example is that the user's mood can alter the local conditions even while their semblance is inactive. People with Burn aspects are known to cause temperatures to spike and water to boil when enraged, while those with a Frost aspect have been known to chill the air and burst water pipes if their mood worsens. A person with a Shock aspect can disrupt local power grids or cause lightning strikes, while someone who manages to master a powerful Wind aspect could create a thunderstorm when angry enough."

An Elemental aspect's downside is tied directly to exactly which type of Dust it's associated with: Frost can lead to hypothermia, Burn can lead to heat stroke or extreme dehydration, Shock can cause tremors from the extra charge built up, and Wind can literally suck the air out of the user's lungs. Modern technology allows a person with an Elemental aspect to counter, or at least negate, the downside of their semblance outside of combat while training with it."

"Perception aspects, contrary to their name, usually don't focus on amplifying the basic senses of the user, which is something Mental aspects can do. Instead, they allow their user access to different senses or alter how the basic senses work, such as changing what spectrum of light a person can see in, changing what frequency of sound they can hear, or simply allowing them to see things for what they truly are in some cases. My own semblance is tied to Perception aspects: I'm able to focus on a point on a map, a person, or a period of time, and see what happed to that person, at that location, during that timeframe."

Jaune raised his hand. "S-so you can see the future then?"

Bisman sighed. "No, one limitation of Perception aspects when it comes to gazing through time is you can only ever see a precise _possible_ future or get a vague image of what _will_ happen. I don't bother trying to look into the future simply because I've had it happen where all I get is riddles about a vague event happening sometime within a five-year timeframe or a clear image of something that could happen that, by the time the vision had ended, was literally no longer possible." Bisman took a breath before continuing. "The major downside of Perception aspects is that they can cause the user to see or hear things that aren't really there for days or even weeks after using it. I've had a few experiences where I've wandered the halls and looked into a classroom to see a different professor standing at the front teaching a class, only to find out that the instructor died decades earlier. Until a Perception aspect is mastered, its user _must_ quickly learn how to separate illusion from reality or risk slowly going insane."

He took a deep breath as he continued. "Illusion aspects can be divided into three sub-categories based off how they work: Physical, Perception, and Mental. Mental Illusion aspects alter the messages sent from your senses to your brain, or even mess with the signals within your brain, to make you _think_ something is happening that really isn't, ranging from seeing a long-dead relative to being convinced you've lost a limb. These are the only Illusion aspects that can have a direct effect on a target's body, but they also only appear for a specific target or, in rare cases, a group of targets. They also share the downsides of Mental aspects. Perception and Physical Illusion aspects alter the way light and sound travel to change the appearance of people or objects in the environment and, in the case of Physical Illusions, can even create tangible illusions that you can interact with, often resulting in them being compared to a form of Summoning or Transformative aspect. The downsides of Perception and Physical Illusions are more complex and unaffected by mastery, usually resulting in someone with such a semblance losing one of their senses or the ability to speak within moments of the semblance first activating."

"Mental and Physical Illusion aspects also interact in unique ways with Mental and Perception aspects depending on the type. Mental Illusions are usually weakened or completely negated by a Mental aspect in use, at best managed to negate the Mental aspect, and they often disrupt a Perception aspect while mimicking the actual function and downside so perfectly that the target takes even longer to notice what's going on than average. This relationship is reversed for Physical Illusion aspects: a person with a Mental aspect in their semblance will often adjust their mental image of the battlefield around physical objects that aren't there or suddenly appear, allowing their opponent to make the illusions vanish or real objects disappear to disrupt and disorient their opponent, while a person with a Perception aspect will usually be unaffected by attempts to hide objects as well as being able to "sense" the fake ones."

"Reactive aspects are the simplest of all and the only ones that never appear on their own. The user has no conscious control over them and has no reason to master them as they trigger on their own in certain situations. In essence, a Reactive aspect is a part of a semblance that triggers when a certain condition is met, such as taking a hit or being in a close proximity to the aspect's "user," to amplify or change the function of the other aspects of a semblance."

"Now then, we've covered the full list, but I'm sure a number of you that _haven't_ fallen asleep are wondering, "what's the difference between an aspect and a semblance?" Well, the difference is simple. A semblance is a collection of aspects that can either be activated individually or in combination to change how each part works or to amplify their individual effects. When a semblance first awakens, every aspect of it activates or triggers simultaneously briefly without any of the normal downsides. This means that any aspect that presents itself is a part of that semblance, but it also means a semblance with a Reactive aspect will only awaken the first time the Reactive aspect's conditions are met after the person awakens their aura. The only exception is when a semblance has a Speed, Transformative, _and_ a Transition aspect, where the Transition aspect of the semblance only awakens when a high enough mastery is reached for the Speed and Transformative aspects, which the Transition aspect will be a hybrid of. Most semblances have one or two "active" aspects with either one or no Reactive aspect, except for purely Mental semblances, those with a Transition aspect, and dual semblances. In the case of a person who has a dual semblance, they usually have a hereditary family semblance as a "primary" semblance and a unique personal "secondary" semblance. No matter what, the "primary" will always awaken first, and they never awaken at the same time. Now then, would anyone like to share their semblance as an example?" He looked around the room before Ruby shyly raised her hand. "Ah, Ms. Rose, an extremely rare pleasure to find out more about your family perhaps?"

Ruby took a breath before speaking up. "M-my family's semblance, the Rose Storm, is made up of four or five aspects. The most obvious part of it is a Speed aspect that can more than triple my speed right now and has a time-dilation effect of about _maybe_ 10:1." Ruby tried to ignore the shocked look from the white-haired girl sitting next to her as she continued. "After that, there's a mild Strength aspect, which helps with my fighting style."

"I see, that would explain how you were able to decapitate a Giant Nevermore, even with all the external help you received," Bisman responded.

Ruby nodded. "Other than that, I also have an Elemental Wind aspect that lets me increase my speed even further or slow me down during a fall. The fourth aspect is Transformative and is where the name comes from when combined with the Elemental aspect. I-I'm able to convert my body and anything in contact with it into rose petals with enough focus and control them through a Mental aspect. The Transformative aspect also happens to amplify the Speed and Elemental aspects, letting me move faster or increase my control over the wind currents in or around the cloud of rose petals."

Many people in the class were watching the girl curiously as Bisman began speaking again. "This is an interesting combination due to the fact that the Transformative aspect could allow you to quickly combine the more utility-focused Speed aspect with the more defensive and offensive focused Elemental aspect into a highly destructive combination, which is fitting for the reputation of the Rose family's semblance. Even the small, delicate, lightweight petals could become deadly projectiles inside the hurricane created by the Wind aspect of your semblance, however, training with both of these would be extremely difficult, possibly requiring an oxygen tank or other equipment. I do, however suspect that at higher levels of mastery, you may unlock a Transition aspect once your Speed and rose aspects are sufficiently mastered." Ruby nodded quietly, processing this information as she revised her training regimen around what she had learned.

Weiss thought for a moment before raising her hand. "Is it possible for someone born into a family with a hereditary semblance to fail to manifest it?"

Bisman blinked at the question before carefully responding. "No, as far as my research has found, once someone develops a dual semblance, the primary one will be passed on to all of their children. The only _theoretical_ exception would be if both parents have a different hereditary semblance, which on their own are so rare and are found in families with such vastly different morals and beliefs that there's never been a confirmed example of it happening. At present, a number of scholars, philosophers, and scientists, including myself, have been debating this for the last fifty years, with popular support fluctuating between the inherited semblance being random or the children receiving _both_ family semblances."

Before he could continue the bell rang and he let out a sigh. "Okay everyone, I'll see you all in a few days. Please take the time to write a short paper on your individual semblances, what aspects you think they have, and how you think they interact with each other. If you either feel unwilling to write a paper about your semblance or _somehow_ don't know what it is…" He briefly pinned Jaune with a glare. "You may instead either research a famous Huntsman or Huntress and write a paper identifying the aspects of their semblance _or_ write a paper about the interactions between various Elemental aspects and the ways Illusion aspects interact with Mental and Perception aspects."

As the students filed out, a few yawning as they did so, Bisman blinked as he saw a figure wearing a white cloak stand up at the back of the class with a man with black hair, red eyes, and grey shirt with a red cloak hanging off his back following her. The two seemed to be talking happily together, the woman's wolf ears twitching occasionally as they left the room. Bisman shook his head with a sigh. _"So, I guess Summer and Qrow sat in this room at least once… I wonder how much Ruby even knows about her past though…"_

 **And the first pure lore chapter is done. I'm getting worried about the length of these now. This is twice in a row it went over 4000 words counting the AN at the beginning and end.**

 **As you can guess from this, I've created a collection of checks and balances between a number of aspects that result in canon characters being strong or weak against each other and Bisman. Weiss' family semblance will have a pair of mental aspects: one controlling the Glyphs and the other for her summoning. The result of this is that if Team RWBY and Bisman (if he ever got into a fight) encountered Emerald, Ruby's Analysis gives her perfect immunity to Emerald's semblance (Manipulation) by making her immediately aware that something's messing with her mind when it's active and allowing her to alter the connections to disrupt or filter out the illusion at the cost of (at present) an extreme headache after the battle, while also leaving Emerald unaware that her illusions have failed until it's too late. Weiss' ability to use Glyphs or summon would be heavily disrupted, giving her enough awareness to rely on her purely Elemental Flash Freeze to surround herself in ice and remove herself from the battle, forcing Emerald to either pick a different target and let Weiss return to the fight once she realizes she's not affected anymore** _ **or**_ **keep her semblance targeting Weiss and leave herself completely exposed with her own semblance more or less useless. Bisman would probably be killed fairly quickly, both due to his low fighting ability and the fact that it would take him longer to notice the illusion than most. In a battle with Neo (who uses a Physical Illusion semblance), the situation is reversed. If Neo sets up the battlefield ahead of time, Ruby's Analysis would immediately create a completely wrong mental map of the area that she'd use in tandem with Rose Storm to move around quickly, risking her splattering herself against objects hidden by Neo or allowing her to remove solid illusions to deny Ruby mobility. Weiss wouldn't be affected by the illusions at all unless she uses her Glyphs to increase her speed, however, she might accidentally place a Glyph on an otherwise invisible object, leaving it "floating" in the air and letting her know there's something hidden there. Bisman's Insight would make hiding objects a waste of time or energy since not only is he unaffected, but he could relay the locations of fake/hidden objects to Ruby and allow her to quickly create a** _ **correct**_ **map of the battlefield. The result is that silent Neo (who may be a mute** _ **because**_ **of her semblance) serves as one of only four true, hard counters against Ruby, Bisman is a hard counter against Neo, Emerald is a hard counter against Bisman, and Ruby is a hard counter against Emerald.**

 **Likewise, Weiss's Flash Freeze and Yang's Dragon's Fury are hard counters against each other (if at equal intensity/mastery). Short of running into a Maiden with a love of fire and explosions, Yang's Dragon's Fury is actually the hardest normal counter against Ruby, with Burn dust being a close second, because of a quirk with the Rose family and a unique trait regarding the Rose Storm. Yang is such a powerful counter against Ruby in this story that spars between them require both sides to agree to avoid using their semblances and the duo can't even have a combination attack like the rest of Team RWBY. In fact, Ruby will make a point to stay out of the 20-foot max range of Dragon Fury's passive aura when Yang has it active.**

 **Lastly, Bisman's "vision" is basically meant to show what a minor hiccup caused by earlier use of his semblance causes while also hinting at a difference in this story compared to canon.**

 **The next chapter will be out some time in the next 6-8 hours. To give you an idea, it's currently around 12:20 PM for me, or around 4:20 PM Greenwich Time to make it easier to find the precise time for everyone outside my time zone.**

 **If you have any questions or requests for what I should have the next chapter like this be about, (or chime in on my "am I making chapters too long?" dilemma) feel free to post them in a review or, if we already have a conversation going, just message me directly. It's currently planned to be either the "basics" of Dust in this story's lore or the early period of Sanctuary's history, with plans to start leading into later timeframes and the history of the Rose family.**


	9. Chapter 9: What Was Lost and Found Again

**Okay, we're back to the normal chapters for a while now. Next up, Ruby spends a bit of time thinking, Professor Port's first class of the semester starts, a bit of bonding, and Ruby considers her options on the translation.**

 **Also, I may have forgotten to point out one thing in the last chapter: it's technically possible for someone to gain the semblance of another, but the only methods to do so are considered inexcusable and if attempted, the individual usually finds that the downsides are far more extreme since their body and mind aren't adapted for the semblance. Somewhat minor detail now, but a bit useful to remember later.**

 **StrumWeiss- Honestly, as long as someone is enjoying my story, I'm happy. It doesn't matter if it's one or one thousand, I'd still keep writing it as long as someone wanted more.**

 **Chapter 9: What Was Lost and Found Again**

" _I have gazed through the veil and seen what will come. Our work will be for naught, our prayers for forgiveness unheard as we wander the world. Just as the moon was ruined, we too will watch the lights fade as darkness creeps over the world, all hope gone for thousands of years. And yet… I have seen the world in peril beyond the dark ages that will come. I have seen a child of our family, underestimated and dismissed as an inconvenience by our foes, finding the key to our secrets. When I die, you must tell nobody of our secrets, but you must ensure that future generations can find it. Build enduring monuments to our legacy, for there will be a day when our history is forgotten. Carve our legends into stone, so that on that day, in a land of eternal summer to the southeast, so that what was lost may one day be found. Only then, may we see the end of this eternal war… Only then, may our family be reborn." -Last words of Aurelius to the Rose family, detailing a prophesy that continues on to the present day_

 **Beacon Academy, Gym Locker Room**

Ruby let out a sigh as she stepped into the shower after a sparring match. It was still only her first day of classes at Beacon but she still had a great deal on her mind. At the forefront, there was the recording she had taken at the temple. _"I've already translated enough to have a vague idea of what it's about, but if I'm right… There's so much mom wasn't able to put on the recordings Uncle Qrow gave me, and I finally feel like I'm learning some of it. The question is, why would my ancestors spend 2000 years hiding this from the world? I-is there something buried deep down in it that they didn't want anyone to know about? Or is it just paranoia left over from the glory days defending Sanctuary?"_ She shuddered as another thought crossed her mind. _"M-maybe the problem is that there's something they knew that led to the collapse of Sanctuary, something they don't want anyone to know about…"_ She stopped washing and slid down the shower wall with a sigh. _"Nox… Maybe it's best that I don't share it with Bisman… But what if I need to know something that isn't in this? He probably has a library filled with stuff from my family…"_

She let out a sigh as another thought entered her mind. She might have publicly dismissed Bisman's antics, but the implications still weighed heavily on her. _"I know it was just a joke, a way to teach us an important lesson, but still… What if there_ is _truth to it? I could ask to look at the maps from previous years' initiations, but I'd have no way to know if it was only one team where the partners fell in love… I guess it doesn't matter. Weiss and I are lucky enough to be friends. Sure, she might be pretty, but I know she hates my obsession with her music and probably just barely tolerates me. And she's always so cold and serious, like she doesn't know what fun is…"_ Ruby was dragged out of her thoughts by a pounding on the shower door.

"Dolt, hurry up! We're going to be late to class!" Weiss called out, frustration clear in her voice, causing Ruby to sigh internally.

"I'll be out in a minute!" she said before getting off the floor and turning off the water, drying off as quickly as she could. She started putting her uniform on before sighing. _"I'm halfway done with the translation, I guess I can finish it off before deciding if I should give it to Bisman."_ She stepped out of the stall to find Weiss waiting impatiently for her before turning and heading out of the locker room, Ruby behind her. "Sorry about that…"

"I swear, if we're late we're going to have a problem, Ruby." The faunus let out a sigh and continued along quietly. Weiss had been giving her the cold shoulder since they finished the Initiation test for some reason and it was started to tire Ruby out. She quietly put her headphones on and selected a song to help calm herself down. There was one good thing about their partnership: as long as Ruby kept her excitement at the thought of working with Weiss to a minimum, the heiress and vocalist didn't mind the faunus listening to her music. Deep down, Ruby knew that her partner only really tolerated her because of her skill and the deal they made.

" _That, or she's even worse with talking to people than I am…"_ Ruby thought, letting out a quiet sigh as they walked in to Professor Port's classroom before taking a seat near the front. Ruby watched as a large man wearing all red and the largest moustache she had ever seen walked into the classroom, standing at the front of room.

"Good morning students! I am Professor Port and this is Grimm studies! Now then, as you all know, the creatures of Grimm…" Ruby let out a sigh as she watched the professor drone on, whatever lesson he meant to teach quickly being forgotten by a story from his youth.

" _I'm still dealing with the time-dilation and he's droning on about something that doesn't benefit anyone…"_ Ruby quickly pulled out her scroll, a pencil, and the binder she had been writing in for the last day, getting a brief look from Port before he continued, seemingly unaffected. Ruby quickly opened up the video and went to the next part of the wall, pausing as she started working. _"Okay, so if I have this right, the next part is means…"_ Next to Ruby, Weiss was glaring at the girl.

" _I know she has that semblance of hers to help her out, but does she_ really _not care about the class to the point she can't even_ pretend _to pay attention?!"_ She continued watching the girl as Port droned on about the values of a proper Huntsman or Huntress. _"Honorable… Maybe, she does seem to hold her word and the word of others in high regard. Dependable… All it takes is someone touching her cloak and she goes into a panic, but she still knows what she's doing even then… Strategic, I mean she_ did _come up with the plan to kill the Nevermore before we all died, and I don't think I'd have come up with it… Maybe I've been too hard on her…"_ Weiss let out a sigh and raised her hand at Port's request for a volunteer, unaware of what exactly was asked. "I'll do it Professor!" _"At least I can clear my head with this."_

Before Weiss could leave her desk, she felt someone grab her wrist, causing her to turn around to yell at them before finding Ruby looking at her curiously. "You _do_ know you just volunteered to fight a Boarbatusk, right?"

"Oh, so you were actually _paying attention_ then? What does it matter to you?" Weiss growled out, slightly jealous of her partner's secondary semblance.

"Do you know if Myrtenaster can even pierce through its armor?" Weiss hesitated, suddenly realizing she wasn't sure. "Look, there's no armor on the stomach and a few small patches on the sides. If you're not sure, try to either get it on its side or let it charge you and stab it as it goes by," The faunus whispered before letting go of her partner. Weiss sighed and went to collect her combat gear before returning to the classroom.

"Are you ready Ms. Schnee?" Port asked, breaking open the lock on the cage as he received a nod and stepping back as the Grimm inside knocked the door loose. "Then fight!" Weiss watched the monster carefully as it charged at her, dodging to the side and trying to stab below the eye, only for her rapier to slide off as the Boarbatusk threw its head to the side, flinging her across the room. She got up weakly and glanced at it as it charged at her. She took a deep breath and sidestepped it again, this time aiming for halfway down its body, stabbing deep into the beast as it roared out. Weiss quickly spun the cylinder and channeled Burn Dust into the blade, pushing it deeper into the Grimm before it finally stopped moving.

As Port congratulated her, she pulled the rapier out, panting a bit before glancing around the room to see Ruby smiling at her. Weiss wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the thought of Bisman's prank being anything other than a joke had left her too mortified to even be civil around her partner. _"It's just some joke he made up, I can't keep this up or I'm going to end up destroying our team…"_ Weiss sighed and left the room to get changed, leaving Ruby to frown.

" _I-I guess she's mad at me…"_ As soon as Port dismissed them, Ruby got up and left the room, intent on continuing her trek back to her room before she saw Professor Ozpin walking her way. "P-professor Ozpin? Is there something wrong?"

"Maybe you can tell me Ruby. You seem as though you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, something I've seen in only two other people."

Ruby sighed, unaware as Weiss walked back around the corner on her way to grab her books before deciding to duck back behind it. _"Why is Ruby talking to Professor Ozpin? Nothing's wrong, right?"_

"I-it's just… Ever since Initiation Weiss has been distant and it just feels like she doesn't think I'm good enough sometimes, or she expects me to fall apart without warning. On top of that, I've been translating the writing from the temple and i-it's just that most of what I've read… I-I'm just not sure I can live up to what my family was like a long time ago, let alone be a good leader if I can't even convince half my team that I'm not some lunatic that won't tell them things…"

Weiss put her head against the wall, feeling slightly guilty. _"Weiss, you idiot… How could you forget how insecure she is about being grouped together with the rest of her family, even if the assumption is wrong… Now she thinks I hate her…"_ Weiss slipped away quietly, needing time to think about how to fix this before she heard the rest of the discussion.

"Ruby, I've made many mistakes in my long life, more than any man or woman on this planet, but I've also learned to trust the Rose family. I know that, no matter what the future brings, you will do everything in your power to protect the people around you and that you'll make them trust and respect you just as much as your mother made people respect her. It's true that you carry a heavy responsibility, as has your family for longer than anyone remembers, but that doesn't mean you have to follow in their footsteps. Perhaps along the way, you might be able to change the world's opinion on your family and learn to trust others instead of going alone like those who came before you." Ruby looked up at Ozpin with a weak smile.

"You really think so?"

"I know you can do it Ruby, you just need to remember not to give in no matter what."

Ruby hummed for a moment before nodding. "That you, Professor Ozpin. I think that's exactly what I needed to hear. I know what I need to do now." Ozpin nodded to Ruby before walking off, taking a sip from his cup as he did so. Ruby turned toward the dorm. _"There's things I can't tell Yang, Blake, or Weiss yet, but Ozpin's right. Whatever it is my family's been fighting against all these years, whatever this thing they've kept up this vigil against… I don't think I can handle it on my own, and I doubt it's in the writings from the temple. I need to learn more about this, which means I need to talk to Professor Bisman to see if there's anything he can share… I'm going to have to translate the entire thing and give it to him, even if it's a bad idea and my family wouldn't approve. If I don't, I might be dead too."_ With that, she started walking back to the dorm. She had a lot of work ahead of her.

 **Team RWBY's Dorm Room, Later that night**

Weiss let out a sigh as she opened the door, looking around the room to see if her partner and team leader was still awake. Instead, she found the girl sound asleep, her scroll, binder, and papers scattered around on her bed messily. Weiss glanced over it, noticing that the video had ended. _"Did she really get the entire thing done in two days?"_ Weiss shook her head in surprise before gently shaking Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby, wake up."

The girl woke with a start, looking around the room wildly. "W-Weiss! I-I'm sorry! I-is something wrong?" Weiss glanced at the cup on the bed.

"How do you take your coffee?"

Ruby glanced away. "W-what? I-I don't drink-"

"Answer the question."

"Um, cream and five sugars!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Don't move" She walked out of the room and quickly made the coffee, staring at it in disgust. _"How can she drink this? It looks like syrup!"_ Once it was ready, she walked back into the room and handed the cup to the half-asleep faunus, waiting for her to take a sip.

"T-thanks Weiss."

The heiress let out a sigh before starting. "Ruby… I know you think I don't trust you… Or think you'd make a good leader because of your family's reputation…" Weiss held up a hand to stop the girl from speaking. "Let me finish. I'm only going to say this once. I know you think that's how I feel, but you've made me rethink how I look at not just your family, but faunus in general. I thought every Rose was insane and every faunus was an uneducated, bloodthirsty brute, but if there's someone like you… Maybe I was wrong and there's more who are as kind hearted as you…" She took a deep breath as Ruby watched her with wide-eyes. "I know I've been distant and… cold lately and that's made you feel like you don't deserve to be leader, so I'd like to make it up to you."

Weiss offered the confused girl an envelope. Ruby looked at it hesitantly before taking it. "W-what is it?"

Weiss looked down at the binder in front of her before closing it. "I-I have a concert coming up and I know listening to me sing cheers you up, so I pulled some strings and got you a front-row seat." Ruby looked like she was going to tackle Weiss before the heiress held up a hand. "However, you have to promise that you'll keep it a secret and that you'll behave yourself there, okay?"

Ruby gave Weiss a wide smile. "Right, I can do that." She hesitated before holding her hand out. "So, we're friends now?"

Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes before shaking Ruby's hand. "Yes, we're friends you dolt, now get to sleep."

Ruby glanced at the binder. "Actually, I have to do something first." Weiss nodded and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving Ruby to her thoughts. _"I guess she's not so cold after all…"_ After a moment, Ruby hopped off the bed and walked out of the room, binder in hand.

 **Professor Bisman's Office**

Ruby knocked on the door, unsure of where the eccentric professor would be but deciding to try his office first. _"Knowing him, he'll probably be either here or in the archives… Unless he's pulling a prank somewhere."_ Before she could think further, the door opened up to reveal the man she was looking for.

Bisman looked at the faunus girl in front of him in confusion, seemingly surprised to find an actual person knocking on his door. "Ruby? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Professor Bisman, I needed to talk to you," she said quickly before he opened the door with a sigh. As she walked in she looked around the room, noticing every wall covered in a bookcase or board. As she glanced around at some books laying out, it became clear that many of them were in Draconian. _"He's probably spent at least a year trying to figure them out…"_ As she turned to face desk, she saw a familiar mace sitting on it. "Um, Professor Bisman, why do you have Cardin's mace?"

Bisman looked at her with a shrug. "He's been causing problems around campus, tormenting students and harassing the faunus members of the student body in particular. He won't learn humility from Ozpin, Goodwitch, or his targets, so I thought it was time for him to learn it from _me_." Ruby shuddered at the thought, unsure what Bisman had planned before she turned to face him.

"I know you can't translate anything out of Ancient Draconian," she started, catching the professor's attention. "I have a translated copy of the writings in the temple with what every word means, but no knowledge of my family's history beyond that. You have all these works written in Draconian, probably by members of my family, that you can't translate… I was wondering if you'd consider working together on this; if I help you translate these, will you promise to keep the most important parts secret and let me view everything you've collected?"

The professor looked at her for a moment before sighing. "Ozpin expects me to find out as much as I can about Draconys and Sanctuary. I don't know why it is, but that's part of the reason I'm here. Whatever we find, I'll have to share with him, but if it seems too important, I'll make sure to leave it out of my classes and keep it secret from everyone else. That's the best I can offer." He held out his hand and, after a moment, Ruby shook it before handing him the binder. "I'll let you take a few books and scrolls with you, just remember to keep them in good condition."

Ruby nodded before collecting a few interesting texts and scurrying out of the room. Finally, for the first time in her life, she would be able to learn about her family. Even if it meant a small betrayal of their values. _"Then again, it might have been their secrecy that got most of my family killed…"_

 **And now the story gets moving. The first piece of the puzzle is found and it's only a matter of time before everything else falls into place. The question is, will the secrets of the Rose family make a difference for Remnant?**

 **This is, more or less, where things will start getting more interesting as Ruby and Bisman move through thousands of years of texts to piece together the history of Sanctuary, the Rose family, and the writings of Aurelius… The question is, will they come out whole on the other side or will they slip into madness looking through the Blue Rose's writings? Expect the name to show up more often from now on as the story progresses. Even in death, the Blue Rose casts a long shadow over Remnant and if you've looked into the various meanings of that color rose, you may have an idea of what Ruby and Bisman are diving into. If not, well… You'll just have to wait and see.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this. Leave a review if you have questions or input, as usual.**


	10. Chapter 10: Retribution and Support

**So this story broke 2000 views yesterday, almost 2400 when I started writing this chapter, with 31 favorites and 62 follows. I'm honestly amazed by how many times this story's been looked at and how popular it is. Hopefully I can keep the quality going and everyone can continue to enjoy it.**

 **Chapter 10: Retribution and Support**

" _Today the Black Rose has committed the greatest act of betrayal one could inflict upon our family. We will mourn the fallen as we march forward to save those she has deceived. Never again will her name be spoken except to curse the stain on our family that she has become. For the sake of the people of Sanctuary and all of Remnant, we will not rest until the traitor is dead. Even if we have to fight to the last man. Even if we have to fight alone."_ _-Aurelius to the Rose family, regarding the Black Rose Incident, year 497 of the reign of the Second Triumvirate_

 **Beacon Combat Training Classroom**

Ruby winced as she watched Jaune take another hit from Cardin's mace. The arrogant bully was almost lazily knocking the poor blond around the arena that made up most of the classroom, with the boy occasionally being able to defend himself. _"The jerk could at least give Jaune a chance to improve… At this rate, he'll never get over his lack of confidence."_ Ruby glanced to the side to see Bisman glaring down from the desks that made up the arena's stands, hands behind him. Ruby was surprised when the professor had arrived, explaining that he didn't have a class to teach at the moment and was taking a break from his project, but had a vague feeling about why he was really there.

While not many other people had noticed, Ruby saw the small remote he hid in his hand and remembered his mention of teaching Cardin a lesson from the previous night. As she turned her attention back to the so-called "fight" below, she heard Pyrrha call out. "Jaune, you can do this!" Ruby glanced to the rest of team JNPR, sighing quietly. While Ren and Nora were both trying to show support for their leader, Pyrrha was by far the most vocal in her encouragement of the blond underdog.

" _I feel so sorry for her… Jaune probably hasn't even noticed that she's interested in him yet…"_ Ruby glanced back in time to see Jaune get knocked down before Cardin raised his mace over his head. Ruby caught movement out of the corner of her eye as Bisman turned to walk toward the stairs, subtly pressing the button on the remote. Ruby looked back in time to see the head of Cardin's mace simply fall off, hitting him in the shoulder while he shouted out in surprise. _"W-what just happened?"_

"Mr. Winchester, what the hell are you doing?" Bisman asked, a tone of amusement in his voice as he watched Cardin pick up the pieces of his mace, surprising Goodwitch and continuing on before he could speak. "Do you expect me to believe you don't have the time or knowledge to maintain a _metal rod with fins attached to one end?_ " Ruby had to resist the urge to laugh, but heard a barking laugh come from Yang and Nora. "Do you realize how unprofessional that appears, how unbecoming it is for a Huntsman-in-training? Maybe if you put as much time into your schoolwork and equipment as you do into your _interactions_ with the rest of the student body, you this wouldn't have happened." By this point most of the class was at least chuckling and Cardin looked around, angry and embarrassed before he stomped back to his seat while Professor Goodwitch went to lecture Jaune.

Ruby smirked at Bisman as he passed. "You set that up, didn't you?" Bisman, for his part, simply shrugged.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but it is quite unfortunate that it had to happen with so many people here to see. I'd hope that he learns a lesson from it, but I have no expectations that he'll improve." Bisman walked out without another word, leaving the rest of teams RWBY and JNPR confused.

"Uh, Rubes? What was that about?" Yang asked, glancing toward the door.

"Nothing, just something Bisman talked to me about yesterday," Ruby said with a grin before Professor Goodwitch spoke up.

"Now remember everyone! The Vytal Festival will be held here in Vale during the second semester of this year. It's only a matter of time before students from the other Kingdoms arrive, so keep practicing and do your best to make Beacon and Vale proud!" Ruby let out a squeal, causing Pyrrha to slide away nervously as the bell rang. The redhead cast a glance down at the arena and went down to help her partner and team leader up before heading to lunch.

As the members of team RWBY left the room, they didn't notice the glare directed at their leader.

 **Beacon Cafeteria**

Ruby sat down with a sigh, glancing over at the rest of teams RWBY and JNPR as Nora rambled happily about some dream she had last night, with Ren correcting her every few words. She looked at Jaune as he sadly moved around the food on his plate as Pyrrha spoke up. "Jaune, are you okay?"

Jaune jumped in surprise before he looked at her with a weak smile. "Y-yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You don't really look like you're okay…" Ruby said with a sigh. The sound of laughter drew their attention to team CRDL harassing a rabbit faunus nearby, causing Ruby to growl. "Look at him, he's racist against faunus and he's a bully… I can't stand him. And he goes after you too, Jaune."

"Please, name one time he's "bullied" me," Jaune said nervously. Ruby immediately started speaking.

"There was the time before lunch the day after Initiation he threw your book into the school fountain. Then when you were going to the library, he made your shield deploy, it got stuck in the doorway and almost hit you in the throat. And let's not forget yesterday before classes he stuffed you into a locker and launched you off."

Jaune chuckled weakly. "I-I didn't land that far from the school."

Weiss stared at him blankly. "From what I heard they found you on the other side of the city, if _that's_ what you consider close to the school I'd hate to see what you consider far away."

Pyrrha put a hand on his arm. "Jaune, if you ever need help you can just ask."

Nora jumped up with a grin. "I know! We'll break his legs!"

Ruby looked at her strangely. "I don't think getting expelled will help the situation at all Nora, sorry…"

"Guys, look, it's fine. Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone!" Ruby glanced over at Cardin to see him roughly pulling on the rabbit faunus' ears, eliciting a growl from the cloaked girl.

"That doesn't make it any better, Jaune. And besides, besides you, he _only_ ever goes after faunus. I can't stand him one bit." The group watched the rabbit faunus walk by, gently rubbing her ear. " _Nox,_ what I wouldn't do to see him get learn some humility…"

Blake looked up. "He's not the only one who's like that," she said, causing Ruby to nod while Yang sighed.

"I wish more humans were nicer to faunus," she said quietly. "I don't understand why people treat them like they're not people simply because they're not human."

Ruby nodded quietly before getting up. "I've got to go, I promised Professor Bisman I'd help him with some more translating, I'll meet you guys back at the dorm room later tonight." As soon as she said that, she turned and followed after the other faunus.

Yang let out a sigh and turned to her partner. "You wanna go get some practice in? I know you'd rather read your books, but I feel like punching something right now."

Blake looked at the blonde next to her before sighing. _"Maybe burning through some energy will get my mind off things… It couldn't hurt to try, right?"_ She closed her book and stood up. "Alright, I'll humor you today." The duo left the cafeteria, leaving Weiss and team JNPR alone.

Weiss let out a sigh as she stood up, intent on going to study when she noticed team CRDL leaving through the cafeteria door behind Ruby. _"Cardin, what are you up to?"_ Weiss decided to follow along behind, staying as quiet as possible. Eventually, they reached a quiet part of the school, at which point Cardin moved forward and grabbed Ruby's hood, causing her to spin around.

"Hey! Watch the… cloak…" She let out a growl as she pulled free. "What do you want, Cardin?" she asked as the four surrounded her.

"Easy there, mutt, I just wanted to know what the hell Professor Bisman did earlier," he said, glaring down at her.

"I don't know what you're-"

"Bullshit!" Cardin cut her off before pulling out his mace with a growl. "I know you're a teacher's _pet_ , and Sky here said he heard you asking Bisman if he set that thing up with my mace! Either you tell me what he did or we're going to have… _Problems_." Ruby reached behind her to grab Crescent Rose, only to find it missing, followed by a laugh behind her.

"Looking for this?" Russel asked as he held up Ruby's weapon, causing her to let out a growl.

She glanced around, trying to think. _"I'd be able to take out two or three of them without too much trouble, but the problem is that if I go after Cardin the others would probably attack me all at once and if I go after any of them first, Cardin_ might _be able to hit me with his mace…"_ Before she could think further she noticed a chill in the air. _"W-what? Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"_

"I-I'd give her b-back her weapon and leave h-her alone if I were you," Weiss said as she stepped out from behind a row of lockers, breath visible in the air, trying desperately to hide the chill in her body. Cardin shivered slightly as he looked at her, glaring slightly.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" he asked before Dove let out a cry, drawing his attention to the boy to see ice forming on his boots.

"D-do you really need t-to ask? J-just leave her alone a-and every walks away p-perfectly fine…" Cardin glanced around before letting out a frustrated groan, putting his mace away, gesturing for Russel to return Ruby's weapon.

"Why the hell are you going out of your way to help an _animal,_ Schnee? I thought your family had it all figured out."

Weiss glared at Cardin. "M-maybe because the only p-person acting like an a-animal here is you. N-no get lost before I c-call the zoo and tell them a gorilla got loose."

Cardin let out a growl and stomped off with his team behind him. As soon as they were out of sight, Weiss dropped to the ground, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she shivered. Ruby made her way over quickly. "W-weiss, are you okay? You didn't need to do that for me, I would have found a way ou-"

"R-Ruby, I'm c-cold, could y-you get m-me back to the d-dorm?" Weiss looked at the girl in front of her. _"I can't even feel my fingers right now, this is bad… What was I thinking?"_

Ruby quickly helped her up, hesitating for a moment before lifting her cloak to wrap around the heiress. "Professor Bisman's office is just ahead, I think he had some blankets or something in there." Ruby moved as fast as she could to a nearby door and pounded on it. "Professor Bisman! Are you in there? We need your help!" The door opened to reveal the man standing on the other side, a look of annoyance on his face before he saw Weiss.

"Get her to the couch, I'll see if I have anything to help warm her up," he said before turning and heading back into the office, leaving Ruby to quickly help her friend and partner over to the couch and wrap her up in a few blankets laying there. After a moment, Bisman returned with a tray holding two cups and a bowl of soup. "Sorry about the mess, ever since about a week ago Ozpin's been on me about progress enough that I decided to just sleep here." He put the tray on the table in front of Weiss before handing a cup to Ruby. "Speaking of our headmaster, he's the only one who makes regular visits and I don't drink coffee, so all I have is hot chocolate."

Ruby paused as she heard this before fishing a pill bottle out of a pouch she had on her, quickly swallowing a capsule before putting it away, causing Weiss to look at her strangely for a moment. Before she could think too much on it, she felt the chill return to her body and carefully picked up the mug in front of her, taking a slow sip and letting the warm milk and chocolate mix go down her throat with a sigh. "T-thanks Professor Bisman, I-I should really be heading back to the dorm once I warm up though…"

Bisman let out another sigh. "It might be a better idea if you stay here so we can make sure you're truly fine. Besides, I'd still like to know _why_ Ruby is knocking on my door with you suffering from extreme hypothermia this time of year."

Ruby quickly started explaining the situation, starting with the incident in the cafeteria and her departure to help him translate his collection of texts, letting Weiss' gaze wander around the room as she ate the soup. Shelves covered in dusty books and worn scrolls dominated the room, with the wall behind the desk containing a map of Draconys, with names of a few locations on it, such as the Leviathan's Gulf directly below the continent, the Plains of Jormungand that made up the southern tip, and the Dragon's Talons, a mountain range that made up the center of the continent. Looking at the table in front of her, she saw a few books and scrolls, all in what Ruby referred to as "Ancient Draconian" along with a few drawings. She picked one up and looked at the armored figure holding a bow as Bisman let out a sigh. "I don't intend to sound like I'm encouraging violence, but it might be a good idea if you start carrying a knife or another small weapon with you Ruby, something you can conceal in case you get disarmed or captured so you don't end up in a situation where you're completely defenseless… That, or learn a martial art."

Weiss spoke up for the first time in the conversation. "Professor, this looks a bit like an Atlesian Knight, what is it?"

Bisman glanced over at the picture before humming. "I haven't translated it fully yet, but apparently it was one of the "Sentinels" used by the ancient Kingdom of Sanctuary. Some kind of automaton driven by Dust, more or less like how Atlesian Knights are powered by a battery from what I can tell, but I have no clue what they used to control it. Thing is, those aren't the only kinds, and they're not even the only type with that basic frame."

Weiss nodded as she looked around the room. "Professor, I know you said that I should stay here, but I think I should rest."

Ruby hopped up and helped Weiss to her feet. "Do you mind if I help you out another time, Professor?"

Bisman hummed before nodding. "I'm making some progress on a cypher to speed up translation on my own, so I suppose we can put this off for another time." He watched the pair leave the room before opening up the binder Ruby had given him the night before, continuing his work with a sigh.

 **Beacon Training Area, with Blake and Yang**

Blake paled as she used her semblance to jump out of the way of Yang's fist, her clone and the area around it being reduced to rubble. "Yang, calm down, you're going to destroy the school at this rate."

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when someone like Cardin's running around, thinking he can torment any faunus he sees, with my little _sister_ being unable to hide that she's a faunus and he could go after her at any time?!"

Blake flinched as she heard this. "She can take care of herself, she's a _Rose_ after all, right?"

"That's not the point!" Yang shouted before dropping to the ground with a sigh. "I-it's not fair that she has to go through all this… Up until a few years ago nobody looked at her differently because she had wolf ears or a tail. They thought she _had_ to be weird because she was a Rose, but then didn't hate her for being a faunus… And then the White Fang had to go and screw everything up!" Blake flinched as Yang punched a wall, causing the stone to melt slightly. "After they started attacking SDC shipments and inciting riots at protests, and because of the SDC's PR department, a lot of people got it into their heads that _every_ faunus was either this bloodthirsty animal waiting to tear them apart or a spy for the White Fang… Ruby lost so many friends after that and she's always had a hard time trusting people since…"

Blake looked down, trying not to think about the implications. _"Have my actions in the White Fang really done any good? If someone like Ruby had to suffer, how many others were hurt?"_ Blake shook her head to clear those thoughts. _"No, it wasn't like that in Mistral or Vacuo, and even then, it wasn't that widespread here in Vale. Just because a few members here and in Atlas went too far doesn't mean we're all monsters… Does it?"_ Blake held her hand out to her blonde partner and helped her up. "Come on, I think that's enough for tonight."

 **Two weeks later**

Ruby let out a happy sigh as she left Bisman's office at the end of the day. Ever since her run-in with Cardin team RWBY had decided to start training as much as they could in their free time, with Ruby managing to get an oxygen tank and diving mask to help her practice with Rose Storm's Wind aspect without having to worry about passing out and also managing to convince Yang to help Weiss with Flash Freeze. The blonde had, unsurprisingly, required little argument after hearing about Weiss helping Ruby deal with Cardin, but the pair spent a few hours convincing her to leave him be rather than beat him to a pulp the next time she saw him.

While schoolwork, and helping Bisman with his translations in Ruby's case, didn't give them as much time as they would like, the duo was already fairly satisfied with their progress. Weiss was able to use her semblance to reduce the temperature of the air within three feet of her for up to ten seconds, or create a coating of ice reaching her knees, before she started to feel the effects of her semblance without Yang's support. Ruby, meanwhile, had already learned to activate her Wind and Rose petal aspects with a bit of effort and could keep smaller objects in the air for 10-15 seconds, or keep herself off the ground for 2-3, before she started to get lightheaded without the tank. Ruby had also decided to take Bisman's advice and practiced with a knife, having one hidden in her boot at all times in case of emergency.

As for Bisman's translations, they had made decent progress, but Ruby had noticed the normally friendly, if eccentric professor become a bit more distant as time went on, often catching him trail off mid-thought or suddenly zone out without warning during their work before returning to the task with a sudden flash of inspiration and his normal, friendly attitude. _"I wonder if there's something wrong… Or maybe having a few events and locations to focus on in Draconys is allowing his Insight to work there too? I've never actually_ seen _him use it, after all…"_

Even with the strange professor's random shifts in behavior, Ruby was more interested in next week's concert. After Weiss had given her a ticket, the faunus girl spent the next two days trying to resist the urge to squeal in delight. Ruby wouldn't admit it to her newfround friend, but it was one of her dreams to actually attend one of the heiress' concerts. _"I can't wait! The only thing happening between now and the concert is the trip to Forever Fall!"_

At the thought of the upcoming trip, her mind drifted from the concert to team JNPR. For some reason Jaune hadn't been spending much time with his team lately and Ruby could tell it was affecting them. She wasn't sure what it was, but something happened after Jaune was left floundering in Dr. Oobleck's class and Pyrrha humiliated Cardin. Now, with the field trip to Forever Fall coming up, the blond boy was nowhere to be seen, which is why she was surprised when she rounded the corner to see Jaune sitting on the floor in front of his team's room. "Hey Jaune," the boy jumped as Ruby greeted him. "You look like something's bothering you. Want to talk about it?"

Jaune let out a sigh. "I-I did something I shouldn't have and now Cardin's got me on a leash, Pyrrha won't even talk to me, and… I'm starting to feel like coming to this school was a mistake… I'm just a failure…"

Ruby sat down across from him. "Nope, you're not a failure Jaune. You're a leader now, you're not _allowed_ to be a failure."

"But what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"

Ruby hummed before responding. "Nope, I don't think you're a failure there either. What could you have done that's so bad anyways?"

Jaune looked down with a sigh. "I-I don't think I should talk about it…"

Ruby sighed. "Jaune, I'm a Rose, and while I might not agree with _all_ of my family's values over the past thousand years or so, I still value keeping a secret and trust. If you can't trust me to keep a secret, who else could you trust?"

Jaune hesitated before he spoke up. "I… I didn't actually get accepted to Beacon. I've never been in a combat school before I came here, I got my hands on some fake transcripts… and I lied… I lied to get here, I told Pyrrha when she wanted to help me get better, I pushed her away, and then Cardin heard. Now he's threatening to tell Professor Ozpin if I don't do what he says."

Ruby sat quietly for a moment before responding. "And why did you fake the transcripts?"

"B-because… This is what I've always wanted to be. My father, grandfather, and his father were all warriors and heroes. I wanted to be one too…"

"Do you want a piece of Rose wisdom Jaune?" The boy looked at her in confusion. "A true hero isn't someone who fights for fame and prestige or for the sake of being a hero. A true hero is someone who fights for others, even if it means nobody ever knows their name. A true hero is someone who puts others first, striving to become the best they can be, so that when the time comes and they look back on their lives… They can say that, no matter what they regret, they wouldn't change any of it…" She got up and helped Jaune to his feet. "You have a team that's counting on you Jaune, and you should learn to depend on them too. I know Pyrrha's been hurting pretty bad the last two weeks, and I think you should really try to stand up for yourself, if not for your sake, for team JNPR's sake."

Jaune looked at the door behind him. "Y-yeah… Maybe you're right… Thanks Ruby."

"No problem. Just think about it and get some sleep, we have the field trip tomorrow after all." Ruby turned and went into her team's room, leaving Jaune in the hall as Cardin walked up.

 **This one ended up much longer than I expected. I meant for it to mostly be Bisman's prank, a bit of minor things in the middle, and then Ruby's pep talk near the end. Then the encounter with Cardin came to mind and a few other things… It was fun to write though. I'm not entirely sure how the chapter started with Bisman sabotaging Cardin's mace and ended with Ruby giving a motivational speech and playing matchmaker at the same time though.**

 **The incident with Ruby being cornered by team CRDL was, admittedly, something I spent about an hour and a half agonizing over on if I should even include it, and then what should actually happen. If there's any part of the story so far that I can't say I'm completely happy with, it's probably that moment. Still, I realized that I needed some reason to get everyone to take training more seriously and with Bisman's antics, Ruby being a faunus, and their little agreement from last chapter, it actually made the most sense for me to include it in the story.**

 **To give a brief summary of the members of team RWBY and their opinions of the White Fang, Yang has a distrust and dislike, if not outright hatred, for the group due to having to watch Ruby suffer through the paranoia they brought out in everyone. Ruby has a general dislike of them as well, but more for the fact that they don't differentiate between the true monsters, like Jacques Schnee, and innocent bystanders. Weiss actually has a deep, personal hatred for the group because of a specific event that made her life worse, while Blake, still trying to justify her actions in the White Fang, is insistent that the group overall is still good.**

 **Ruby having a knife on her is actually something I needed to have happen at some point and I needed to more or less explain how she and Weiss were working on mastering their semblances. One thing I should point out, however, is that Ruby won't be carrying diving equipment into battle, mainly using it to help with training.**

 **Bisman's condition is going to be…** _ **complicated**_ **from here on out. There's not much I can say, sadly, but he's going to take part in two more lore dump chapters before we reach the Vytal Festival.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you have questions or input. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing you all next chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11: Forever Fall and Madness

**Well, now we're getting to Forever Fall. We all more or less know what happens here, but there's going to be a few changes and Pyrrha's semblance needs to be addressed. After that we need to check in on a certain someone I think…**

 **Chapter 11: Forever Fall and Madness**

" _A site has been selected deep in the Dragon's Talons. The location is a large valley able to contain the project and farms, inaccessible from the ground without Janus' assistance. With easy access to required resources, we'll be able to proceed without interruptions. The design phase will begin immediately." -Aurelius to the other members of the Second Triumvirate, on the Bastion Project, year 399 of the Triumvirate's reign_

 **Forever Fall**

Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of nature around her. She listened quietly to Professor Goodwitch speak as she glanced around, the mention of collecting sap getting her attention before she raised her hand. "Um, Professor Goodwitch, aren't there a number of Ursai in this forest?"

Goodwitch glanced behind her as she continued to walk. "That's correct Ms. Rose, so it's recommended you spend as little time as possible on your assignment and do _not_ drop any jars. Now then, you have your assignment. Enjoy yourselves, but be careful."

Ruby let out a sigh before glancing at her team and JNPR, minus Jaune. "Alright, make sure you get the jars filled and then seal them off as soon as you can. The longer we have the sap exposed to air and the more of it that's out in the open, the more likely we have to deal with an Ursai." They nodded quickly, except for Nora who pouted slightly, and went off toward the trees. Jaune let out a sigh as he hesitantly followed Cardin.

 **With Jaune and team CRDL**

Jaune glanced over the hill before looking at Cardin. "Alright Cardin, this is the last time I'm helping you, you promised that to me."

Cardin smirked as he looked at the blond. "Oh, sure. This is the last thing I'm going to have you do, then We'll just pretend nothing ever happened…" He quickly handed a jar of sap to Jaune. "See, all you need to do is hit Pyrrha, the heiress, blondie, and the mutt with these jars. Then we're going to let out the rapier wasps you got us and let them go to work. That essay you wrote me last week said these nasty things love sweets. I figure, what better way to teach the red-haired know-it-all, the stuck-up heiress, her little pet mutt, and the blondie a lesson?" As soon as Cardin saw Jaune hesitate, he continued on. "And if you don't, I'll have a nice chat with Professor Goodwitch about how you got into Beacon. I'm sure that'll be fun to watch."

Jaune looked down at the group below him before his talk with Ruby came to mind. _"If I do this, would I be able to live with myself for hurting my friends to protect my chance at being a Huntsman?"_ He looked down at Pyrrha for a moment. _"Would I be able to live with myself for hurting Pyrrha after all the faith she put in me?"_ "…No."

Cardin looked at the boy in surprise. "No?"

"I won't do it," Jaune said before Cardin stepped forward and tried to push him down the hill, causing Jaune to throw the jar of sap at Cardin. The larger boy growled out as he looked down at his sap-coated armor.

"Oh, you've done it now, _buddy_ ," Cardin said before the rest of his team grabbed Jaune, dragging him into the forest.

 **With teams RWBY and JNPR**

Ruby was watching the rest of her team and JNPR as they collected the sap, letting out a frustrated sigh as Nora downed her fifth jar of sap. The group had decided that Ruby would use her Analysis to improve her senses to keep watch for Grimm while the rest worked. "Nora, stop drinking the sap. We can't sit out here with this stuff for too long or we risk attracting an Ursa."

Nora let out a groan. "I can't help it, it tastes _sooo_ good!"

"Look, I know you like sweet things, I do too, but we can't-" Ruby stopped suddenly as she heard the faint sound of a jar breaking, causing her to look in the direction of a nearby hill.

Weiss glanced at her partner in confusion. "Ruby? What's wrong?"

Ruby glanced around as she pulled Crescent Rose out from behind her. "Someone broke a jar, I think I hear Jaune yelling at someone. The problem is, if it was a full jar there's probably at least one Ursa in the area can smell that sap now." Ruby glanced at Pyrrha to notice the look of concern on her face. "Weiss, Pyrrha, come on. Jaune might be with team CRDL, but if our run-in with them says anything, they'll probably bail at the first sign of an Ursa. Yang, Blake, Ren, Nora, keep an eye out in case one comes through here." The group nodded and readied their weapons, Ren quickly filling up a jar and hiding it from his partner, before the trio started moving towards the hill.

 **Deeper in the woods**

Jaune let out a groan as Cardin punched him in the stomach. "You know that wasn't very smart Jaune-y boy. Forget letting Professor Goodwitch know about you cheating to get into Beacon. By the time I'm done with you, there won't be enough left to bury," Cardin said, not noticing Ruby, Weiss, or Pyrrha hiding in the nearby bushes.

"I don't care what you do to me… But you're not hurting my friends…" Jaune said, weakly glaring at Cardin as the boy lifted him off the ground.

"What, you think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now?" Cardin let out a growl before pulling his arm back for another punch, while Ruby grabbed Pyrrha's arm to stop her.

"Ruby? We need to-"

"Wait…" Ruby still had her semblance active, giving her a chance to notice the brief shimmer that went across Jaune's body. Every part of her semblance was active and focused on what was going on as Cardin punched Jaune, from the cracking noise on impact to Cardin dropping Jaune and grabbing his own wrist in pain. Ruby flattened her wolf ears and winced at the ringing noise coming from the clearing as another shimmer went across Jaune's body. "Wow, looks like he got lucky…"

Weiss looked at Ruby in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It _looks_ like Jaune's semblance just awakened. I'm not sure what it is, but either he's able to convert parts of his body into something harder than bone… Or it allows his aura to reflect any damage he receives back on whoever or whatever hit him." She let out a sigh as Dove kicked Jaune in the back. "It doesn't look like he has much control over it though…"

A roar drew their focus away from the group in front of them as a massive Ursa charged out of the trees, knocking Cardin over while the rest of his team ran, screaming in panic. Ruby glanced over at Jaune to see the boy get up, looking around as if unsure what to do. "Come on Jaune, you want to be a hero, now's your chance…" Ruby muttered, watching as the boy drew his sword and shield before charging in front of the Ursa to stop it from cutting Cardin to bits.

The trio watched the fight for a bit before Jaune made a mistake, leaving himself open for a swipe from the Ursa's claws, when Ruby suddenly gripped onto Crescent Rose with a gasp as it was almost yanked out of her hands. As soon as she saw Jaune miraculously block the Ursa's strike and kill it, she turned to look at the redhead next to her, noticing Weiss holding onto Myrtenaster. "What did you do?" the heiress asked.

Pyrrha smiled at the two of them. "My semblance is polarity."

Ruby sighed. "Sooo, you used a semblance you apparently have never practiced with to move Jaune's shield without warning the people with on, one of which has a _scythe_ , that their weapons might be yanked out of their hands and fly at either you or Jaune?" Pyrrha paled before Ruby put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, it's sweet that you'd be willing to help him like that to boost his confidence, but it won't help if it gets someone killed in the process. Keep practicing though, it'd be pretty useful in a fight if it came down to it."

Weiss glanced at her partner. "So, we're not going to tell anyone what happened here?"

"Nope," Ruby said simply, folding up Crescent Rose before turning to walk away, the other two following close behind.

Jaune helped Cardin up before glaring at him. "Don't ever mess with my team or my friends again, got it?" Cardin smiled weakly before Jaune turned around and walked off, leaving him alone.

 **Beacon Academy, Bisman's Office**

Bisman let out a sigh as he rubbed his head, a collection of scrolls and books in front of them as he looked around between them. Over the last week, the work put into translating all of his texts had started to take a toll on him, more so than normal. But that wasn't what was bothering him as he thought back to his most recent vision.

 _He stood before the gates of a city that, somehow, was vaguely familiar to him before glancing out at the sea. A feeling of disgust filled him without warning before he turned away and turned towards the gates passing through to a building beyond it as the guards stepped forward to stop him, each with the image of a dragon perched on a tower, tail coiled around it, painted onto their armor. "Let me through, I don't care if they're "busy," I refuse to wait for them any longer," he said, before the vision faded._

Bisman sat down on the couch, eyes closed as he thought about what he had just read, comparing it to the vision. _"If what I read is true, I'd assume that the gate was at the harbor of Point Refuge and the building… Normally, I need to have at least a small idea of what I'm looking for in order to have a vision. I've never had one that showed me a location or time I didn't intend to look at… Let alone one a vision I didn't_ try _to have."_ He opened his eyes and glanced at the map on the wall, faint lines crossing it that he knew weren't there. Over the last two weeks, every book or scroll he translated brought him closer to piecing everything together, every attempt to pierce the veil around Draconys bringing him a step closer to success… Until a week ago, when his visions started to happen without warning. They were usually small, but they only happened while he was working on translating a text and always gave him a fresh insight into the subject.

He glanced down at his scroll, a report on the side effects of Perception semblances on the screen. He memorized the warning signs long ago and knew what to look for: inability to keep the past and present distinct, failure to differentiate between visions and reality, occasionally hearing and responding to things that aren't really there… All of these could indicate a loss of ability to function in everyday life or, worse, the onset of insanity.

" _I'm not sure what else could be wrong, but it doesn't quite fit…"_ he thought before he glanced at the map again. He was drawn out of his thoughts as his scroll went off, causing him to glance at the screen with a sigh before answering it. "Professor Ozpin. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Arthur, I thought you'd like to know that the team we sent to look into your most recent lead has reported back. They've found the ruins of a city on the island, fairly well preserved even compared to more recent settlements, but it seems there's very few Grimm around, just a number of these "automatons" you mentioned recently." Bisman paused as a headache overcame him, a number of explanations for why there was a city on the most accursed continent in Remnant completely untouched by the Grimm coming to mind. "They made it back safe and sound, so we're going to be planning the expedition soon-"

"I'd like to be part of the expedition," Bisman found himself saying before he could stop himself, getting a sigh from the other end.

"Arthur, I know you've been putting in a bit of practice and that you've been working on this for the last three years, but-"

"But the team is going to be landing somewhere that has no reception from the CCT network, in the ruins of a civilization that uses a language that only two people in the world have any idea how to read, without any maps or knowledge of the area beyond what we've already gathered," Bisman said, trying to justify his sudden request to both Ozpin and himself. "If they discover something, it might be important that they get a translation to them immediately."

Ozpin sighed before responding. "Very well Arthur, I'll make sure to include you in the expedition, which will be leaving within the next few weeks. Just make sure you don't get anyone killed. Convincing the Council to authorize another trip to Draconys was difficult enough as it is." With that, Ozpin hung up, leaving Bisman to stare at the scroll in his hand.

" _I have no idea why I did that, but it's probably the worst thing I could do right now…"_ Bisman sighed. He wasn't stupid, he knew that he was unstable right now and the last thing anyone needed was for him to take part in this expedition when he could snap at any time and someone could get hurt. At the same time though, he found himself drawn to the map on the wall. _"I won't lie, I've always had this feeling there was something pulling me towards Draconys… I'm just not sure why it's getting stronger now."_ Bisman got up slowly and started putting everything away. He had a class to teach tomorrow, after all.

 **This chapter was one I where I didn't know exactly what I was going to have happen. Besides Bisman's part and the scene regarding Jaune and Pyrrha's respective semblances. I didn't really put much thought into it beforehand. I'm willing to listen to input on everything overall, however.**

 **The next chapter is going to be another lore dump, after that the next normal chapter will be Weiss' concert, followed by the events just prior to Volume 2, another lore dump, and then from there on out things get interesting.**


	12. Chapter 12: Bisman on Dust and Sanctuary

**We've got another lore chapter coming our way. I had a hard time deciding between having it be about Dust or Sanctuary and realized that it might be better to combine the two for various reasons. What to expect: the history of Sanctuary in a nutshell (with parts still missing for later), bits and pieces about Dust in Ancient Legacies, and a taste at the significance of the name "Aurelius" to the lore.**

 **In regards to the guest who reviewed chapter 11, this story is more or less what happens when you take someone that does a lot of reading and has an overactive mind and gives them something with a lot of gaps in the lore left unexplained by the holes being slowly filled in. I mean, Corca Mors** _ **was**_ **named after the sword of Julius Caesar and Sanctuary** _ **is**_ **supposed to be Remnant's Rome/Atlantis stand-in, so it's technically possible that Jaune's sword comes from Sanctuary. I never really put much thought into it, so feel free to make your own decisions in regards to that.**

 **Chapter 12: Bisman on Dust and Sanctuary**

" _What is the origin of Dust you ask? I'll admit that is a slightly important question, but not the most important of all. What is Dust? When you use it, where does your will end and the Dust's power begin? Even more important than that, however, is a much more serious question:_ is there a difference between the two? _Perhaps, one day, when you can fully understand the implications of these questions, when you can understand what nobody before me dared consider, I will answer the one you have asked me." -Aurelius, teaching several sages-in-training about Dust._

 **Bisman's Classroom**

Bisman let out a sigh as everyone took their seats, a projector displaying a map of Draconys onto the wall behind him as he glanced over the texts on the desk. He looked up, content that he was as ready for the class as he could be as the bell rang. "Alright students, today we will be discussing two topics that, until recently, were completely unknown outside conjecture, written legends, and oral traditions: the rise and fall of Sanctuary and the origins of Dust." He waited a moment as people started whispering about it before continuing. "Now, according to legends, Sanctuary was the first true civilization in all of Remnant, and the only one to exist on Draconys to any extent. Myths state that the kingdom rose to prominence shortly after the discovery of Dust, a feat that many texts attribute to a man by the name of Aurelius, the first and most powerful of Sanctuary's so-called "Dust Sages." These were men and women who, through arts and techniques no longer practiced, were able to manipulate Dust of any form or type for various tasks."

"The Kingdom of Sanctuary, shortly after being formed, was ruled by what later became known as the "First Triumvirate," a council of three individuals that passed their position to their children on their death, and was situated in the city of Port Refuge…" He pointed to an island in the middle of the Leviathan's Gulf before images of a city appeared, the remaining buildings simple and functional. "Which a team recently sent to investigate this island has found the first physical evidence of. Now, each member of the Triumvirate was a Dust Sage, sworn to protect the people under their rulership, but the group didn't include Aurelius, who, for most of the organization's existence, lost prominence. Stories of this time frame refer to it as an age of prosperity up until forty years later, when records start to indicated that the people of the city started to feel their leaders were no longer acting entirely in their best interests."

"Approximately 70 years into the Triumvirate's reign, the name of Aurelius once again appears in reference to a man challenging the council and accusing them of being so corrupt that "they were willing to allow those outside the walls to suffer for their own personal gain." Shortly after that, all records indicate that he left the city and vanished into the wilderness, leading to a dark age of sorts where technological progress essentially stagnated under the Triumvirate and the Grimm were allowed to get ever closer to Port Refuge before the Sages made any action to stop them. Approximately 30 years later, the name Aurelius once again appears when a man comes out of the wilderness accompanied by a small group of followers to confront the Triumvirate, who eventually are forced to surrender control of the city to Aurelius, who then forms the "Second Triumvirate" to lead the kingdom properly. It is also at this time that he is believed to have founded the Rose family." He glances at the class and notices a hand go up. "Yes, Ms. Schnee?"

"You said this man, Aurelius, was the one who discovered Dust, correct?" When Bisman nodded, she continued. "H-how is it possible that he could have still been alive a full century later if that's the case?"

Bisman let out a sigh as he shrugged. "At first, I thought it was either a son of the original Aurelius or one of his apprentices taking on his name, except for the fact that both descriptions are about the same, particularly the fact they both had silver eyes, something that, apparently, was completely unique to Aurelius prior to his return." Bisman glanced at Ruby, getting a nod before continuing. "My theory is that it was, in fact, the very same person, no matter how absurd the notion is. From what I've read, the Rose family put a great deal of meaning into the flowers they shared a name with. It's said, for instance, that only a Rose could grow a natural blue or black rose, while the family went so far as to attach special meanings to each color of rose while their cloaks, a common identifier of a member of the family, were always the color of the rose that best represented their personality and what drove them."

"If someone had a red cloak, for instance, it usually meant that they sought romance and affection, or that respect, courage, and determination were the most important things to them. White represented that the Rose cared about purity, humility, and secrecy, many of them went so far as to rarely speak to outsiders unless they needed to or absolutely trusted them. Yellow often meant they valued friendship and were the most willing to work with others, even outsiders after the fall of Sanctuary. Orange often indicated that they were energetic and held anyone who saw a difficult task through to the end in high regard… Aurelius, however was called _the_ Blue Rose, something unique among the family. They associated the blue rose with four things: the unattainable, the unknowable, prosperity, and longevity or even immortality."

"If the belief that the color of a Rose's cloak revealed vital aspects of their personality or what drives them wasn't just a whimsical belief, but a solid, unquestionable truth, we're left with this theory: Aurelius was a man who had discovered and understood things that nobody before or since could possibly even comprehend and perhaps used it to extend his own life, if not achieve a type of immortality." He paused for breath. "What is known, however, is that from this point on for the next five centuries, Aurelius is mentioned regularly as his family rises to prominence. Organizations quickly formed to defend the Kingdom and the far-flung settlements, including the Order of the Blue Rose, which most members of the Rose family were part of."

"Within a century of his return, another city appeared to the west of Point Refuge…" He pointed to the area marked as Jormungand's Plains. "Somewhere in this region, which came to be known as Sanctuary, the seat of power of the Second Triumvirate, marking a golden age as more applications for Dust were discovered, including the so-called "Lattice" Dust." He held up a piece of metal with a thin line of Dust engraved into it, dimmer than the average Burn Dust it would otherwise appear to be. "As a number of you may know, Lattice Dust is a type that doesn't disintegrate when depleted and, when used by someone with an elemental semblance that matches the basic element of the Dust, can have a certain amount of energy restored by the holder's Aura. The Dust gets its name for the fact that, unlike normal Dust that is abundant in many areas and mined by groups like the Schnee Dust Company, it is only ever found on old Draconian artifacts, where it often serves as an energy source for various weapons or other creations…"

"Another example of their creations would be the "automatons," a construct that took on one of a number of forms that was used by Sanctuary for their defense or other tasks. Each of them was, essentially, a suit of armor of various types, ranging from the size of a human or faunus to the size of an Ursa, with a few of them even capable of flight, that were powered and functioned through the use of precisely organized Lattice Dust. The fact that they are often considered sentient does raise questions about the exact nature of Lattice Dust and Dust in general, however. The complexity of their creation means that they were exceedingly rare compared to Atlesian military robots we know of today, but records show they made up for it in efficiency and skill."

"The automatons could fit into three confirmed categories, the two ground-based ones each having three subtypes. The most common were the "Sentinels," which as you can see…" An image of an empty suit of armor holding a bow appeared on the screen. "Bear a striking resemblance to the Atlesian Knights and were known to use a bow and sword, often serving as sentries and archers and were said to be the equivalent of the average human or faunus warrior." Another image of a similar suit of armor appeared, this time with a crest going from the top of the helmet down the back of it and equipped with a spear and lance. "After that we have the "Champion" variant, which was often used to defend the more agile, but less armored Sentinels, as well as to patrol within the walls of the various towns and cities. The third variant…" An image of another suit of armor, unarmed but with more ceremonial paldrons and a cape going halfway down its body, appeared. "Known as the "Prefect" was perhaps the rarest of all the Sentinel-type automatons and served as commanders of Sentinel garrisons and hunting parties when a human or faunus commander wasn't available."

He took a deep breath as an image of the Armored Knight flashed onto the screen, making Weiss pale. "After that we reach the "Goliath" type, a relatively uncommon group that was designed mainly to defend major settlements and hunt larger Grimm, such as Ursai and Deathstalkers. It's stated that each basic Goliath was meant to be able to replace a twelve-man hunting party and, while a few were brought off Draconys during the fall of Sanctuary, a peculiar instability makes them prone to either cease functioning or go on a rampage, most likely as a result of the Dust lattice powering and controlling it decaying." An image of a similar suit appeared, holding a much larger sword with two hands. "The "Juggernaut" variant was even more deadly, with it often being stated that a single Juggernaut was able to do the work of two or even three Goliaths. There are even stories of one ripping an Ursa clean in half after it embedded its sword in the face of a cliff mid-battle. Their savagery and strength meant they were useless in defending populated areas, however." Another image, this time of a suit of armor with a crest similar to the Champions and Prefects and holding a sword and shield, appeared. "Serving a similar role to the Sentinel Prefects, the "Templar" variant of the Goliath was considered a true terror on the battlefield, however, it's also stated that there were only ever a very small handful created and all but one were attached to another project elsewhere."

An image of a suit of armor with metallic wings appeared on the screen with a lance and shield in hand. "The "Archons" were the only type mentioned that were capable of flight that had a humanoid appearance. According to texts, their weapons were unique in that they could transform between a lance and a bow, allowing them to fight at range or make swift attacks on ground or aerial Grimm. It seems that some aspect of the lattice required for them to function made them preferable only for hunting Grimm in locations no other automaton could reach."

A pair of images appeared, one of a small, spherical object with an opening in the front and the other of a large object similar to an airship with Dust crystals surrounded by wings floating nearby. "Lastly, we have the "Speaker" and "Roc" aerial units, both built within the last twenty to forty years of Sanctuary's existence. While the method they used is unknown, the Speakers could apparently relay messages between various points in Sanctuary with the same ease that we could communicate with someone from Atlas, suggesting a more advanced use of the Dust lattice in each unit… Or a complete lie. Regardless, they are often attributed to how the members of the Triumvirate were able to communicate so quickly considering the vast distances between their respective territories. The Roc, however, seems to play a similar role to the Bullheads of today through use of Gravity Dust to keep it airborne, thought the exact use or reason why one would be needed isn't clear."

He sighed before he continued. "Besides the automatons that they employed, Sanctuary was known for having cleared much of southern Draconys of Grimm, with most of them coming from the Dragon's Talons and the northern part of the continent. For the next four hundred years or so, Sanctuary was relatively peaceful, with it being possible for someone to make the two or three-week journey from Point Refuge to Sanctuary by foot without encountering a single Grimm in the 465th year of the Triumvirate's reign. This was mostly attributed to the zeal of the Rose family in their defense of Sanctuary. Approximately twenty years after the Second Triumvirate was formed, a member of the Rose family, a girl named Adrienne, had sent a letter back to the city of Sanctuary requesting help in defending an outlying settlement from a Grimm attack while Aurelius was absent. The council decided by two votes that she should leave the settlement and await reinforcements."

"According to stories, Aurelius returned to find a letter from Adrienne, often referred to as his granddaughter, letting the council know that she had chosen to stay behind, saying "If I had to choose between my ideals and my life, I'd gladly lay down my life to protect those who depend on me. Thus, Kindly do I scatter myself to the wind in their stead." While the Rose family mourned the loss, she quickly started a tradition among the Rose family where the members all swore that they would rather die in defense of others than live the life of cowards. The words "Thus, Kindly I Scatter" came to be attributed with the "Rose Martyrs," members of the Rose family who stood their ground and fought to give others a chance to flee, saying only those four words before those they saved could flee. Stories say that if a Martyr was recovered, their body would be buried in what became known as the "Rose Garden" due to the fact a rose bush was planted on each grave as a reminder."

"As time went on, however, the situation once again became bleak. As far back as the fifth year of the Second Triumvirate, there are records of Aurelius getting into an argument with another member of the council by the name of Oscar Zoroaster, ruler in Point Refuge, about the Rose's refusal to share everything he had learned with the rest of the council or the Dust Sages in general. By the 480th year of the Triumvirate's reign, relations between Aurelius and the one of the other councilors had become abysmal while the third had chosen to take a hands-off approach to dealing with the man. Aurelius' unwillingness to work with them for most of the council's reign led to the council's division after the slaughter of twenty members of the Rose family in what was known as the "Black Rose Incident" and a sudden civil war amongst the Kingdom's most fanatical defenders in the 493rd year of the Triumvirate's rule. The councilor in charge of Sanctuary refused to help the Rose family, insisting that Aurelius treated everything else involving them as something that didn't concern the council, while the councilor of Point Refuge is believed to have expressed a belief that the Rose family wouldn't need help."

"At the time this conflict, known as the "War of Roses," it's estimated that the Rose family numbered 100-200 individuals. However, the conflict was hard on the family as what was meant to be a short hunt to track down and execute the traitors turned into a seven-year long war that, according to legends, led to the shattering of the moon and of the family's resolve. It's believed that this timeframe was where the modern ideals of the Rose family- isolation, secrecy, and insistence on not involving outsiders in their issues- started to form. Aurelius and a number of elders are said to have mourned at the sheer number of Roses that were killed, so many that Aurelius is said to have admitted to being afraid there wouldn't be anyone left to bury the Martyrs of the war if it ever ended. Eventually, it's said he took a small group of the family's most skilled and loyal warriors into the Dragon's Talons to hunt the traitors down personally, only for them to come back without their leader, passing along a grim message that left the family shattered: Aurelius had chosen to fight the traitors alone and was forced to destroy himself in the process, but not before leaving a prophesy that has survived until the present day in one form or another."

"Shortly after this occurred, a large number of Grimm, more than have been seen in recent memory, swarmed out of the Dragon's Talons and quickly overwhelmed the kingdom's outer defenses. When the city of Sanctuary was forced to evacuated, it had a population roughly equal to that of Vale and every settlement surrounding it. Point Refuge had a slightly smaller population…" Bisman stopped, letting out a sigh. "By the time they escaped the continent, only a tenth of Sanctuary's population had survived the trip, while more than half of Point Refuge's population was killed while crossing the Leviathan's Gulf. The Rose family went from several hundred members to only a few dozen, scattered among the survivors, swearing that they would never forget their failure on that day, nor would they ever let the lesson of the conflict be forgotten."

"They came to believe that it was the knowledge the traitor to their family sought that lead to the downfall of Sanctuary, and their own quest for knowledge that should have never seen the light of day that allowed it to happen. As such, they carried a warning down through the generations…" Bisman let out a sigh before he looked over grim expressions of his class. "The most perfect corruption comes from within."

And with that, the bell rang and the students silently filed out of the classroom.

 **And now we've covered the very core of the story. If you've been reading the quotes, you most likely saw a number of references to each of them in this chapter. Either way, please tell me what you think about this, since** _ **most**_ **of the lore is now in place. In case anyone's curious, the "Speakers" more or less use Dust to do what the CCT does while also creating a kind of hologram or projection of something as well as recreate sounds. The design wouldn't work with the CCT network without serious changes, however. There's still some things about the Rose family that are left to discuss, but most of that will be explained by Ruby herself soon while a few smaller things are left to be explained at the end of volume 3's events. There's obviously a few parts I'm not too sure about and a few things still kept quiet (the implications of the quote from** _ **this**_ **chapter and the absence of an explanation for the previous chapter's quote) so if you feel that the Speakers and Rocs shouldn't be included let me know and I'll change that around. Input of any kind is welcome.**


	13. Chapter 13: Concert and Ruby on Roses

**I would like to start this chapter with an apology. I made a serious error in my quick proofreading of the last chapter in regards to how many members of the Rose family were alive before everything fell apart in Sanctuary. I didn't put another zero at the end of either, but I did put four times the intended number. This was corrected fairly quickly after I initially uploaded the chapter and** _ **most**_ **people would not have noticed this mistake, however a few people (maybe 8-12, not sure exactly how many) did and I'm unsure if they read the chapter since then, so I'm putting this here for them to see just in case: the number of living members of the Rose family at the time of their war would have been between 100 and 200, not the 5-800 I originally put. I mean, looking at the math it** _ **could**_ **still be an acceptable number, but it'd make their family an unrealistically large portion of the population of Sanctuary in my opinion.**

 **Anyways, now for a bit of a whiplash for everyone's mood: going from the greatest disaster in this story's history to a concert, and a bit more recent lore. Also, I put some thought into it and felt that I should point out that, in this story, one of Weiss' songs is based off the full prophesy Aurelius gave before dying. Important to note since that song** _ **will**_ **be in this chapter.**

 **Chapter 13: The Concert and Ruby on Roses**

" _Trust, secrecy and love are the most important things a Rose can have in this age, my little rose bud. Remember, when the time comes and I share our family's secrets with you, you can only ever share them with your closest friends, your children… and the person you fall in love with." -Summer Rose, in one of the recordings left to Ruby_

 **Outside the Vale Concert Hall**

Ruby was beyond thrilled. Over the last few days it had become harder for her to resist the urge to scream in excitement as Weiss' concert came closer, especially with all the time they'd been spending together due to their training with their semblances. Weiss had discovered early on that Ruby sometimes needed to be reminded to use her breathing equipment while practicing with Rose Storm's Wind aspect, while Ruby's unique experiences with the mental aspects of her semblances allowed the faunus to give her partner a few ideas for her own semblances, such as trying to feed the Frost aspect of Flash Freeze directly into her Glyphs or Myrtenaster instead of using Frost Dust. More than that, however, Ruby noticed that her partner's mood had improved over the last month. _"She actually seems…_ happy _now,"_ Ruby thought as she drifted back to a recent incident.

 **RWBY Dorm room, previous day**

 _Weiss closed her textbook with a sigh before turning to face Ruby. "So, I suppose you're looking forward to the concert?" Weiss asked, getting a massive grin from the faunus girl._

" _Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this all month! I can't believe I get to go to one of your concerts! This is going to be great, I just know it!" Ruby stopped for a moment as Weiss smiled, a warmth going through her, before Yang spoke up._

" _Wow Weiss, you're smiling now? If I didn't know any better, I'd say the pup's_ melting that cold heart of yours _. Might wanna be careful,_ Ice Queen _, or she might affect your semblance too!" Ruby let out a squeak and pulled her hood over her head while Weiss glared at the blonde as she was getting ready for a shower._

" _Shut up! I told you not to call me that you brute!" Yang simply laughed and hopped up, heading into the bathroom before the shower started up. Giving Ruby a chance to hop down off her bed and stand next to Weiss._

" _So, what are you going to sing Weiss? Is it going to be "This Will Be the Day?" Or are you going to sing "I May Fall?" Oh! Or are you going to sing-"_

 _Weiss rolled her eyes with a smile. "Dolt, if you looked at the concert's schedule you'd know what I'm going to sing. But trust me, you're going to like it, I promise." The mood was ruined by Yang's singsong voice from the shower._

" _Weiss, watch out, at this rate that ice water you call blood is going to melt- AH! COLD! F-FUCK YOU WEISS!" Yang screamed from the shower while Weiss laughed, causing Ruby to look away for a moment._

" _Maybe next time you shouldn't mock me while you're in the shower, Yang!"_

 **Back in the present, with Ruby**

Ruby was still trying to get the sound of Weiss' almost angelic laugh out of her head when she stepped up to the door to show her ticket, surprised to see Weiss with a guard behind the man inside the building. After being allowed in, Ruby walked up to her partner. "Weiss? Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

The guard made a move to stop Ruby before Weiss responded. "Normally yes, but I was walking past earlier and heard that the person originally checking tickets was harassing a faunus and accusing them of stealing the ticket. We had to call security to check her ID to make sure and it turns out the staff has an… _Issue_ with faunus and was planning to give the tickets to his friends, so I felt it was a good idea to make sure his replacement doesn't get the same idea."

Ruby sighed before smiling, tail moving behind her. "I'm sure your faunus fans will appreciate that, Weiss, thanks."

The heiress rolled her eyes before responding. "Don't worry about it, dolt, just head in and find your seat."

Ruby nodded and went inside, quickly finding her seat as her mind wandered. _"Weiss really does care a lot about her fans, it's nice… But it does fit her new outlook of things since we were partnered up… Gah, what's with me lately?"_ Ruby sank into her seat with a sigh. There were things that Bisman had thankfully kept quiet about in his most recent class that were weighing heavily on her. _"If what I read was true… I need to find someone I can trust in case something happens, otherwise everyone might be in danger if things go wrong."_

Her attention was drawn to the stage by the announcer's voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Weiss Schnee." Ruby's ears perked up as she joined in on the applause, smiling happily once it died down and Weiss started her first song.

"They see you as small and helpless. They see you as just a child. Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild…" Ruby let out a content sigh as she watched Weiss move around the stage, quietly humming along to possibly her favorite song.

" _It sounds so much better hearing her sing in person and she looks so happy right now…"_ Eventually, however, Weiss reached a part that, recently, Ruby had come to understand a meaning behind.

"Your world needs a great defender. Your world's in the way of harm. You want a romantic life, a fairy tale that's full of charm. Beware as the light is fading. Beware as the dark returns. This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn. Legends scatter, day and night will sever, hope and peace are lost forever!"

Ruby sighed, still enjoying the song as she thought over it. _"The legend, or prophesy, whatever it was, did get passed down for centuries… Maybe Weiss based a song around it?"_ Ruby smiled as the song became more upbeat again, clapping happily when it ended. Ruby felt her face heat up a bit when Weiss looked at her with a smile. _"W-what's going on? I-I'm not… I'm not falling for Weiss, am I?"_ Ruby shook her head to clear her thoughts, filing it away for later.

There was one song she could sing that always told the world how she felt, a song she was expected to sing at each concert now. She wasn't sure if Ruby had ever heard her sing it, but she knew the faunus girl could pick up on things much more easily than most, even without her Analysis. Taking a breath, Weiss waited for the piano before starting her next song.

"Mirror… Tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest… Of all? Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all? Mirror, what's inside me? Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?"Weiss took a breath before starting on the vocalization in the middle of the song, not noticing that Ruby was staring at the ground.

Ruby let out a sigh before glancing at her partner. _"Weiss… How many times have you performed this song_ _and nobody noticed? Can your family, your fans, and everyone here care so little about you as a person?"_ Ruby sat silently and listened to the song sadly.

"Mirror mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see. I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me? Mirror, mirror, tell me something. Who's the loneliest of all? I'm the loneliest… of all…" Weiss took a deep breath as the crowd cheered. _"Why do they always have to cheer for_ this _song? Why?"_ She looked towards Ruby to see her sitting in her seat, a frown on her face.

" _Weiss… you're not as cold or heartless as everyone says you are. You're the first person outside my family that's ever made me feel truly welcome…"_ Ruby looked at her partner and gave her a reassuring smile before sliding back into her seat. When the concert ended, Ruby waited by the door for her partner. "H-hey, Weiss, can I talk to you before we head back to Beacon?"

Weiss looked at her partner in confusion. "Sure, what's the matter?"

Ruby shook her head. "Not here, I can't talk about it with so many people around," she whispered before heading out the door, Weiss following behind in confusion. As they started walking Ruby spoke up. "You know, you're not as cold as you think, you've been nicer to me than a lot of other people have. I… I understand how you feel though, isolated and alone because of your family's reputation even though you're not like them, even though it hurts to see how everyone else either tries to pretend you aren't there or pretend they actually enjoy having you around when they're scared or intimidated by what you represent…"

Weiss was about to respond when she noticed how on edge Ruby was, glancing around occasionally. "Ruby? Is something wrong?"

The faunus let out a sigh and stopped, seemingly content with where they were as she ran a hand through her hair. "I-I don't know, Weiss… It's just that I've found a few things in the stuff I've been helping Bisman translate and a few things he shared with me about my family's more recent history… There's things that I can only share with someone I know I can trust. I've… Decided I can trust you with this." Weiss looked at her, eyes wide as she processed this. "I-if you don't want to hear about it, I won't-"

"No," Weiss said quickly, a light smile on her face. "I've been around you for a while, Ruby. I know trust is something extremely important to you… And I'm honored that you're willing to trust me enough to tell me about this, even if it's only a little bit."

Ruby pulled her hood up and looked away to hide her blush before letting out a sigh. "The Rose family wasn't always made of faunus. Aurelius was human… In fact, when he vanished humanity didn't even know the faunus existed, it wasn't until he came back with a few of them at his side that humans and faunus actually met. Some people even jokingly suggested that maybe Aurelius had run into a human family hiding in the woods that were terrified that their human senses wouldn't help them escape the Grimm and he'd used Dust to do something to them to create the faunus." Ruby let out a laugh. "T-they liked to say he did a lot of things though, didn't they?" Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's attempt to lighten the mood.

"A-anyways, while the faunus were viewed with distrust by many, the Rose family accepted them from the beginning. As time went on and my family became more secretive, it led to an understanding between my human and faunus ancestors. The Rose family understood the faunus' need for companionship, while the faunus learned to understand and accept my family's need for secrecy."

Weiss nodded, realizing what Ruby was getting at. _"So, I guess she sees something similar with both of us…"_

Ruby looked away before continuing. "Over time, the bonds of trust led to friendship and, eventually, love. By the time of the War of Roses, there were a handful of people in my family that descended from the faunus, but when Sanctuary fell, many members of the Rose family found themselves to have more in common with their faunus friends. Within about five hundred years, every living Rose was faunus. We still wandered around human settlements and helped out when we could, but it was obvious that our ancestors' choice and our family's growing isolation and secrecy strained humanity's view of us. We tried to keep the peace as best we could for 1400 years until tensions reached a peak between Vale and the alliance between Mantle and Mistral a century ago…"

"The Great War," Weiss muttered, paling.

Ruby nodded. "During the time leading up to it, Mantle had started studying how the Grimm behaved and ways to control, or at least predict, their actions. For my family, this was a harsh reminder of what started the War of Roses, when one of our own insisted that the survival of humanity and the faunus rested in controlling Grimm rather than using Dust to fight them off. Something… _Dark_ led to that war and my ancestors tried to guide Mantle away from the subject, only to watch helplessly as they enforced their ban on the arts and self-expression, which, sadly for us, included a number of things important to us, such as our legends and stories. When this happened and it spread to Mistral, every Rose in the two kingdoms suddenly found themselves unable to do the one thing we'd spent centuries doing. We couldn't share our warning as everything crumbled around us. Rather than obey, they chose to live in the wilderness."

Ruby took a breath before continuing. "When the first battle took place between the settlers of Vale and Mistral on an island off the coast of Sanus, my family tried to help resolve the situation as peacefully as we could… But by then the rulers of Mantle and Mistral weren't willing to even listen to us since we refused to listen to their laws. We were forced to watch as the world tore itself apart, unwilling to take a side until it became clear that Mantle was using captured soldiers and civilians as labor in their mines. My family couldn't stand for the thought and started a resistance in Mantle that eventually spread to Mistral. For a while, they focused their efforts on freeing prisoners, disrupting supply lines, and doing whatever they could to slow the war without leading to senseless bloodshed…"

Ruby looked at Weiss before she continued. "And then the "Hunts" began. When Mistral and Mantle realized that every member of the Rose family in their borders was taking part in this, when rumors of how capable and dangerous they were started going around, the two kingdoms started sending out groups of soldiers to search areas with a large population of faunus and the wilderness with orders to execute anyone they found wearing a cloak or the Rose family's crest. What was meant to be an effort to save innocents became a bloody struggle for survival… More so in Mantle, where many of my family were protecting the faunus, who chose to come to the aid of their protectors."

Weiss felt a chill go down her spine. _"So, the way the faunus have been treated in the last century… Was it because of a war they were dragged into? A war Ruby's family was trying to stop?"_

Ruby continued. "Eventually, the war ended, but the… The Hunts didn't. While the kingdoms were trying to get every faunus they could to live on Menagerie, even with the help Vale and Vacuo received, my family was forced into hiding as deserters from Mistral and Mantle started chasing us down all over Remnant. Nobody really cared at the time, the two kingdoms simply passed it off as their troops being forced to take extreme measures when we resisted. After the Faunus War though, everyone was on edge. The faunus might not have been treated very well after the war, but every time a Rose was killed it enraged any faunus that heard of it. Eventually, the kingdoms were forced to work together to track down the people involved in the Hunts. For the next sixty years, every kingdom's view on the Hunts changed, from being a serious threat that needed to be stopped to a minor issue that would eventually solve itself."

"My family quickly realized that someone was trying to wipe us out, that these Hunts that were started in the Great War had been subverted by someone or something that wanted us out of the picture. Most thought that the Black Rose had somehow survived the fight with Aurelius and was tracking us down, making sure the major threat to their plans was gone. A few of them decided to take a risk and speak in front of representatives of the four kingdoms at the Vytal Festival about thirty years ago with a few other members of our family in attendance. They tried to warn the kingdoms that something terrible was on the horizon, that an ancient threat would be returning. While they were mocked for their paranoia… The people at the festival found it hard to argue when the members of the family were found dead the next day, the rest of the Roses in attendance panicked and on guard."

"The four kingdoms were forced to admit that something had to be done, if not because my family was telling the truth, then because the threat of a Hunt happening within the city walls was too big or the possibility that the only source of ancient knowledge still left in the world would be destroyed too great. Most of the groups involved were eventually captured and dealt with, but by then the damage was done… When I was three, my mom and I were among the last four Roses alive when she decided to meet the others to speak with the Council of Vale…"

Ruby cast a glance at Weiss, the haunted look in the normally cheerful girl's eyes sending a chill down the heiress' spine. "They were attacked in the middle of the street in broad daylight by a man, some Dr. Arthur Watts I think. There wasn't much they could do in the crowded streets and tried to get somewhere isolated. H-he… Took advantage of my family's desire to minimize the loss of innocent life to put them in a position where they couldn't fight back." By the end of it Ruby was shaking, tears running down her cheeks. Weiss stepped forward and wrapped the girl in a comforting hug, causing her to let out a sob.

"I-I'm sorry you and your family had to go through that Ruby…" She waited a moment for Ruby to calm down. "Are you okay?" Ruby gave a weak nod before Weiss continued. "Why are you telling me this Ruby? I can understand that it's hard for you to talk about…"

Ruby sighed and looked down. "Dr. Watts was never caught and every Hunt in the last sixty years was directed at a member of the Rose family who knew the most about our history or was most vocal about it… Now that I'm learning about my heritage… If there's another Hunt, if something happens to me, the Rose family will be extinct." Weiss paled and took a step back. "I-if that happens, I need someone I can trust to carry the message on for me, to make sure people understand what's coming." Ruby looked at the girl in front of her sadly. "I'd like if you'd be the one to do that for me Weiss."

Weiss hesitated. _"If I say yes, I might be a target too, right? But Ruby just told me all this, shared her family's greatest fear with me, because she trusts me. Could I betray that trust?"_ Weiss didn't acknowledge the part of her that, deep down, was more terrified that the normally cheerful faunus girl could be killed in cold blood at any time. She nodded slowly. "I-I'll do it Ruby, you have my word, but I know it won't come to it. You're too strong to let one man stop you."

Ruby smiled brightly, looking away to hide her blush at the praise. "T-thanks Weiss, it means more to me than you know."

 **And that's done. A long chapter that ties up the last bits of the lore… At least the parts I'm willing to share for the time being. Yep, Ruby's aware she's got a crush on Weiss. Weiss just agreed to carry the torch if something happens to Ruby. Interesting times are ahead of us.**

 **Writing about the Hunts was a bit of a tough decision on my part. I had to come up with some way of explaining what happened to the rest of the Rose family and I needed to come up with something to explain what Salem's doing in the background for the last two thousand years. At this point, it's safe to assume that Ruby's aware of things that are going on in the background, such as who Salem is and that she's even alive still. It'd be a good idea to assume she's also keeping an eye out for things that might mean trouble.**

 **Leave a review to tell me what you think.**


	14. Chapter 14: Out of the Shadows

**Alright, after last chapter, it's time to get back on track with the overall story. Before that though, I'd like to say how amazed I am at how popular this is. 87 followers and 43 favorites after 10-11 days is insane to me. I really hope everyone continues to enjoy the story and is happy with the quality. There** _ **will**_ **be a question at the bottom for everyone though, so please read the note down there.**

 **Chapter 14: Out of the Shadows**

" _Some secrets must eventually see the light of day. Sometimes, you don't get to choose when or how it happens, other times you simply aren't prepared for what you will learn. It is for these reasons that you must always be prepared for anything and expect your view of the world to be shaken at any moment." -Oscar Zoroaster, commenting on Aurelius' return from self-exile and the resulting revelations_

 **Beacon Academy, Bisman's classroom**

The students let out a relieved sigh as the bell rang before Professor Bisman spoke up. "Before you leave, I thought I should inform you all that this class will be suspended until after the Vytal Festival." A few cheers went through the class before he spoke up. "As some of you may have heard from rumors, Vale has authorized for Beacon to send an expedition to Draconys. It has been deemed necessary that someone with knowledge of the language used on the continent take part to simplify the process. I will still be here for the next week, during which you may approach me with questions. Now, I bid you all a good day."

Everyone filed out as Ruby blinked at the man standing in front of the classroom before she felt a tugging on her arm, causing her to look at her sister. "C'mon Rubes, I thought we were going to go have dinner with Weiss and Blake. We were going to have some fun as a team, remember?"

Ruby pulled her hood up as soon as the words "dinner with Weiss" left Yang's lips. The faunus was having a hard time getting her white-haired teammate out of her head the last few days and this didn't help matters. _"Calm down Ruby, you're hanging out with your team, it's not a date or anything… But it would be nice I guess…"_ She followed along behind Yang before she spoke up. "So how are you and Blake doing? I haven't really seen the two of you together all that much."

Yang sighed. "We're doing fine I guess. I mean, other than her hating my puns we get along pretty well. She tells me stuff about what being a faunus is like outside Vale sometimes and, well, I can kinda see why she doesn't trust most humans. She just needs someone that's willing to see past her ears…" Yang smirked and looked at Ruby out of the corner of her eye. "Kinda like you and Ice Queen." Ruby turned a bright red. "Come on, did you really think I wouldn't notice the way your eyes light up whenever someone mentions her name. Besides, I think your _puppy_ _love_ is so cuuuute!"

Ruby turned as red as her cape. "Y-Yang! You have to promise you won't tell anyone, alright? Weiss already gets weirded out by me loving her music so much!"

Yang held her hands in front of her. "Alright, alright, geez Rubes. It was a joke."

Ruby took a breath before responding. "Besides, if you spent any more time with Blake, people might get the same idea."

Yang sputtered before she responded. "It's not my fault nobody else wants to spar with me!"

"I can't fight with you if you use Dragon's Fury, Yang. Weiss is still practicing with Flash Freeze, so she couldn't put up a fight that well. And it kind of _is_ your fault since everyone's terrified of you after you threatened to fuse Cardin's armor together with him in it. Honestly, I think everyone's surprised Blake's even willing to step into the ring without requesting any restrictions on you."

Yang let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" Yang wouldn't admit it, but Blake was the only person besides Ruby that was willing to start a conversation with her. "C'mon, we'd better hurry before the kitty cat and Ice Queen get mad at us." Ruby rolled her eyes before the two started running.

 **Near Vale's Docks**

Ruby looked around in wonder at the people setting up banners and decorations. While the other girls had been to the Vytal Festival at least once, this was the first time Ruby was seeing anything on this scale. "Wow, it's still a month or two away and they're already starting to set things up?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Dolt, most of the plans are put in place _at least_ a year before the Festival happens. Besides, the Vytal Festival starts about a month before the tournament and ends two or three weeks after, so they need all the time they can get."

"So why are we by the docks exactly?" Yang asked in confusion.

"I've heard that students from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. I felt that it would be a good idea to be here to greet them to make a good first impression."

Blake turned to Yang before speaking up. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."

Weiss scoffed. "You can't prove that! And if it was true-"

"Whoa…" Everyone turned to look at Ruby as she looked down the street at a store. The door was completely destroyed with several rolls of police tape covering the entrance. Ruby walked up to the officer out front, her team behind her, before speaking up. "What happened here?"

The officer looked up. "Robbery. Second Dust shop hit this week. It's getting insane." The officer left and team RWBY turned around to leave before Ruby stopped, hearing a second officer.

"They left all the money again." The group turned around to listen as the first officer responded.

"Yeah, it doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?" When his partner shrugged, the detective continued. "You thinking the White Fang?"

Weiss crossed her arms and turned around with a sigh. "Well, it has to be either the White Fang or that Torchwick from before the year started. They're all just a bunch of degenerates I suppose."

"What's your problem?" Blake asked, bow twitching in annoyance.

"My problem? I just care for a group of lunatics and psychopaths."

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided faunus."

"Maybe that could be said a few years ago, but how can you call any group that wants to wipe out humanity "misguided" exactly?"

"Okay, so they're _very_ misguided. It doesn't explain why they'd attack a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

Ruby hummed, tapping her chin for a moment. "Blake's got a point. I might not like the White Fang, but I don't see a reason for them to do this. Besides, you said it yourself Weiss, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into at the beginning of the year."

"Yeah, it _could_ be him, but the White Fang's been going after SDC shipments for years. My family owns 60-80% of the world's Dust market, Ruby. Most Dust shops have at least _some_ Dust mined by the SDC in stock. It's just what the White Fang do lately," Weiss said with a sigh.

Before anyone could continue, the group was interrupted by shouting from the ship as a faunus with a monkey tail ran past them with the two officers chasing him, causing Yang to smirk at the heiress. "Well, you wanted to see the competition. And there it goes."

"Quick! We have to observe him!" The four took off after the faunus and officers, rounding a corner before Weiss ran into something, falling over. Weiss watched the faunus boy round a corner before sighing and looking down, causing her to jump up when she saw the girl under her. After a brief and strange introduction with the girl and a slip up on Ruby's part, Weiss chose to speak up at the mention of the Vytal Festival Tournament. "Wait, you're in the tournament?"

Penny saluted as she spoke. "I'm combat ready!"

"Forgive me, but you don't look the part."

"Said the girl in a dress," Blake chimed in.

"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss retorted, arms crossed as Ruby appeared next to her in the same pose.

"Yeah!" the faunus girl stated before high fiving the heiress.

Yang sighed. "I swear you two are rubbing off on each other way too much."

"Wait a minute, if you're here for the tournament, do you know the degenerate we were chasing?" Weiss asked, getting a blank stare

"Who?"

"The stowaway from the boat!"

"Stop calling him that! He's a person, not some criminal!" Blake snapped, causing Weiss to look at her in confusion.

"Are you seriously taking offense to the fact I'm calling a faunus that snuck onto a boat a criminal now?"

"Just stop it!"

"What am I doing? He broke the law, he tried to sneak into Vale without anyone noticing him, and now he's running from the police. For all we know, he could be working with the White Fang."

Blake growled. "You… _Ignorant_ little brat!" she growled out before starting to walk off.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Weiss shouted back before Blake turned around.

"You're just a judgemental little girl Weiss, that's all you are," Blake growled before Weiss' eyes narrowed, glancing up at the other girl's bow.

"Are you honestly saying that you want a group of murders who don't care to pick their targets to represent you and Ruby?" Weiss said, causing Blake to flinch. "I know about the ears. Kind of hard not to when I'm partnered up with Ruby and how expressive hers are. It never seemed like it'd matter until now. The White Fang _have_ made things worse for everyone, human _and_ faunus."

"That doesn't give you the right to group us all in with them!"

Weiss scoffed. "Do I _sound_ like I'm grouping every faunus in with the White Fang? Every group, every family, has good and bad individuals, even the faunus. The White Fang are just the worst of all. Do you know what they've _done_ to my family? Growing up I had to watch family friends vanish, board members get executed, not knowing if tomorrow it'd be me… And then, every day, my father would come home furious, making it that much harder on me." Ruby went to put a hand on Weiss' shoulder before she spun around to glare at Blake. "That's what the White Fang are, Blake. They're liars, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake shouted before she could stop herself. Weiss took a step back and shouted after the girl as she ran down the street.

"Then maybe you should have waited a bit longer or picked your targets better!"

Ruby made a move to go after her fellow faunus. "Blake! Wait! Come back!"

Weiss sighed as she grabbed her partner's wrist. "Ruby… We both know we won't be able to find her if she wants to stay hidden."

Ruby looked down sadly before speaking up. "B-but… she's our teammate, even if she is, or was White Fang."

Yang looked in the direction her partner ran, frowning slightly. "You sure about that, pup? The White Fang _did_ make it hard on you growing up… How many people do you think she's hurt."

Surprisingly it was Weiss who spoke up. "It's possible she never directly hurt someone… Or at least never killed anyone. A few White Fang members were captured from time to time and a lot of them didn't even know about the assassination attempts beyond the ones my dad couldn't keep quiet. I… I think the White Fang kept their more… _Questionable_ activities secret from most of their members. It's possible that Blake just never knew about any of what they really did."

The group let out a sigh as they started walking down the street before Ruby spoke up, stepping away from her enraged sister. "Yang, can you calm down? You're going to set my cloak on fire…"

 **Vale's Streets, a few days later**

Yang wasn't the kind of person to regret the things she said or did. She'd broken a bully's arm, set fire to a cafeteria when someone messed with her hair, and destroyed a night club without any regrets. Normally, she wouldn't care if someone was too scared to be around her either. Now though, she felt ashamed for being mad at Blake. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but everything seemed a bit duller, less vibrant, without her partner around. _"Maybe Rubes was right, maybe I've gotten used to having Blake around…"_

Ruby let out a sigh as she walked ahead of her melancholy sister and quiet partner, ears drooping and tail low to the ground. "She's been gone all weekend… I don't even know where to look anymore…"

Weiss glanced at the cloaked girl before speaking up. "Well, if she really thinks the White Fang aren't as bad as I told her, she'd probably be looking for proof that they aren't behind the… Dust disappearance…" Weiss stopped, causing the other two to look at her as she looked back with wide eyes. "There's a SDC freighter that's going to arrive some time tonight, probably enough to get Vale through the Vytal Festival. If someone was stealing Dust, there's no way they'd be able to pass up a target that big. Even if it isn't the White Fang, Blake should be there if she's heard about it."

Yang let out a sigh as they started walking again. "Great, so we're probably going to be fighting either a ton of White Fang members or Torchwick and his goons. Just the three of us with no backup."

"Why would you need to fight anyone?" Penny said behind them, causing the trio to turn around in shock.

"Penny! Where did you come from?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Hey guys! What are you up to?"

Yang glanced at Ruby. "We're looking for our friend, Blake."

"Ohh! I know who you're talking about! Can I help?"

Ruby glanced at the other two before getting a sigh from both. "Sure, just meet us by the docks tonight, okay?"

"Sure thing, Ruby! I'll be there and ready to help you!" The girl turned around and started walking off as Ruby turned to face the rest of her team.

"Is it just me or does the way she acts and moves seem a bit mechanical?" After a quick discussion, the trio went to get ready for tonight. _"Let's see, we're going to need binoculars for certain, maybe radio equipment, and, just in case it's Roman Torchwick behind this, maybe a listening device or something."_

 **Vale Docks, later that night**

Ruby watched the bullhead came in to land in the center of the cargo storage area, looking through a pair of binoculars while Weiss, Yang, and Penny watched quietly. The moment the first figure stepped out she sighed. "White Fang, if Blake's here-" She stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! What's the hold up? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves right now, so why don't you clowns try to pick up the pace."

Ruby groaned, causing Weiss to glance at her. "Ruby? What's wrong?"

"The White Fang are working with Torchwick," Ruby said, causing Weiss and Yang to glance at each other. "I don't know why they're working together, but we need to figure it out… And Blake just ran up to him and put a knife to his throat, great." The cloaked girl got up and looked at the trio behind her. "Time to go, we need to help her before she gets killed." They quickly nodded before splitting up, moving between the shipping crates. The sound of more bullheads approaching and an explosion got them moving faster as Ruby turned on the radio. "Torchwick's cane has some kind of flare gun that shoots shells of Burn Dust. Try to draw him away from the cargo area or at least avoid letting him hit any cargo containers. One mistake and the entire harbor could go up in flames."

Ruby dashed between stacks of crates, using her Analysis to map the area out and figure out where everyone was while running toward the sound of gunfire. As she rounded the corner she charged at Torchwick with a yell, managing to get within arm's reach before being pushed away. "Well, would you look at this! The mutt in red is back! _Again!_ Don't you have some other criminal mastermind to go torment or do you brats get assigned one when you go into school?" Ruby smiled as she noticed the frustration and panic in the man's voice before making a move to charge at him, only to see a series of blades come out of Penny's back before she started mowing through the White Fang members. The two watched as the blades spun in front of Penny before firing a beam of energy, cutting through three approaching bullheads. "Oh, are you fucking kidding me? Are _any_ of you normal?!" he shouted before running to a nearby bullhead, debris falling around him as he took a seat with a sigh. "I swear, these kids just keep getting weirder…"

In his panic, Torchwick failed to notice that Ruby had planted something in one of his pockets…

 **A short time later, outside the docks**

The members of team RWBY and Sun let out a sigh as the police finally let them go, Penny quietly being led off earlier. Weiss turned to look at Blake with a neutral face. "So, did you find what you were looking for?"

Blake looked down, shaking slightly. "I didn't want to believe it… Some part of me knew it was true all this time, but it was so _easy_ , you know? So easy to assume the killings and attacks really were caused by someone who snapped and went rogue like we were told. If the White Fang is able to go against their ideals like this, w-what could they have been doing that I didn't know about? How many people were hurt by information _I_ found?"

Blake felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, seeing her blonde teammate looking at her. "Relax kitty cat, it's all in the past. All that matters is you left before you got any blood on your hands and our team's back together…" Yang smiled slightly before taking her hand off the faunus' shoulder. "It's… Good to have you back, Blake. You're always welcome with us."

Blake smiled back, trying to avoid crying. She might have lost one family today, but she knew for a fact she'd gained another. One that wouldn't abandon her and one she was truly happy to be a part of.

 **Beacon Academy, Bisman's Office the next morning**

Ruby let out a sigh as she glanced over the stack of books and scrolls that Bisman had on his desk. "So, I guess this is the last stack until you get back?" Bisman looked up before smiling

"No, I talked to Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch and cleared it. Until I get back you're allowed to come and go as you please, just remember to lock up on the way out," he stated before placing a key on the desk. "Now then, where did I leave that map…" Bisman turned around and started searching his desk while Ruby rolled her eyes, glancing through the stack, making note of a few interesting things.

" _Let's see… There's something in here about how the old Dust Sages were able to control Dust, maybe I could learn a bit about it…"_ She glanced at the next one, a seemingly normal book on growing roses, before she stopped at a chapter on blue roses, rereading it a few times. _"W-wait, blue and black roses can be used to invoke a blessing or curse on someone?"_ As she read through, she found something that made her eyes go wide. _"C-communing with the dead? S-so I can use a blue rose to speak to someone if I go to their grave?"_ Her thoughts drifted back to Patch, a sigh leaving her lips before she came across the next thing in the stack.

Ruby blinked in confusion as she found herself looking at an obviously modern map, indicating that it was from a previous year's Initiation test. _"Is this the map Professor Bisman used for his prank?"_ She quickly glanced at the notes on the side, noticing a team STRQ mentioned in one of them before looking across the map, quickly finding the two spots Bisman had mentioned. One of them had two names: Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen. _"So that was dad and Yang's mom… W-wait…"_ Ruby paled as realization dawned on her. _"Bisman said both pairs in that team fell in love, right? I-if that's the case, who-"_ She glanced to the other spot and her mind shut down at the names next to the mark placed square in the middle: Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen.

Bisman heard the whimper before he glanced over, but he knew the moment he saw the look on Ruby's face exactly what happened. _"Shit… I really should have put that back a long time ago…"_

 **So, this one was fun to write. I might have hinted at this way back in chapter 4, but in this story** _ **Qrow**_ **is Ruby's dad. If you've been paying attention, you'll know why this makes the most sense for this story: Summer, as a Rose, would prefer being around someone that understood a need for secrecy and was willing to put up with her. Qrow, always stressed about his semblance (which I've had to make changes to in order to fit the story's semblance classification system) would naturally end up being a more ideal friend, partner, and romantic interest for the more enigmatic Summer, along with being willing to keep her family's secrets if need be.**

 **This however brings us to the dilemma I'm having right now: Ruby** _ **will**_ **confront Qrow and Tai about it, and I need you guys to give me some input. Do you think Ruby, after finding out that Qrow is her father, should continue calling Qrow "Uncle Qrow" and Tai "Dad" simply because it's what she's used to? Or do you think she should start calling Qrow "dad" and Tai "Uncle Tai" to reflect that she's accepted the truth and views Qrow as more of a role model (even in canon if you think about it) than she does Tai? Please leave your response in a review.**

 **Also, yes, the thing about invoking a blue rose to speak to the dead at their grave isn't something I just put in for my amusement. That will be used at least once during the course of the story.**

 **Another thing: as might have been clear, I've been giving the villains a bit more depth to them compared to canon. This is because, other than Torchwick and post-Beacon Cinder, none of the other villains really have a clear driving force behind them (besides maybe Tyrian) and this makes them a bit boring to write for me. From now on, if I introduce one of the villains or they're mentioned, I'll put a description of their personalities and motives in a note. The same thing will be done with Ozpin and other characters when I've revealed enough about them to do so (for simplicity's sake, Bisman will be discussed in the next chapter)**

 **So far, we've met Torchwick, who is more or less the same as canon with a few differences: while his main goal is still self-preservation, he's also far more pragmatic than in canon. While canon Torchwick showed frustration at having to work with the faunus, he's willing to disregard any beliefs he has about them in this story simply to make working with the White Fang easier, as well as to reduce the chances of them slitting his throat for a casual remark. Not only that, but in this story, he's also driven mainly by fear; the only reason he works with Cinder and, by extension, Salem is because he's terrified of them and doesn't think there's anyone that can stop them. If he ever discovers a group that has a strong chance of stopping them, he might switch sides simply to avoid his own death. As many might have guess, Ruby's bugged him to figure out his motives.**

 **After that we have Dr. Arthur Watts. While in canon he hasn't said much and hasn't played much of a role, Dr. Watts in this story is a hunter with no moral compass. For him there's no good or evil, only a worthy hunt with worthy prey or a pointless hunt with a trivial foe. In this story, he sided with Salem not for power, survival, or domination, but because it gave him the opportunity to hunt, in his eyes, Remnant's most dangerous prey: the Rose family. By the time he carried out the murder of Summer Rose and two others in Vale, he'd already killed around 6-8 other members of the family on his own, making him the most dangerous threat to Ruby in this story, outside Salem herself.**

 **Salem, Cinder, and Tyrian will be discussed later. Hazel Rainart is currently the only member of Salem's inner circle I have yet to figure out a motive for, however. Adam Taurus' motivations and personality will be revealed next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15: Revelations and Regret

**This is going to be a fairly important chapter. Now, before we start I wanted to talk about the question from last time. A number of you said you wanted Ruby to call both Qrow and Tai dad, while some said that Ruby should call Qrow dad and Tai her uncle. I've decided to have a bit of a compromise: due to the fact Qrow's semblance works differently in this story (reduces a person's situational awareness instead of giving them bad luck) Ruby's Analysis would give her effective immunity at the cost of not being able to use a specific aspect of it (the one that** _ **boosts**_ **her situational awareness) when around Qrow. This will lead to Qrow being able to actually spend more time with Ruby growing up, so she actually would view both Qrow and Tai as her dad. After this chapter, if they're all together or Ruby's talking about one of them without them being there, Ruby will refer to them by name, but when she's with only one she'd call them dad. Sadly, due to the exact nature of things in this story and Tai being overprotective, things are going to strain Ruby's relationship with him as time goes on, which, when combined with what happens with Qrow in volume 4, will result in Ruby starting to see Qrow as more of her dad than Tai, so eventually Tai will become "Uncle Tai" as things go on.**

 **Other than that, this chapter will end with an explanation of Jacques Schnee's and Adam Taurus' motives and a summary of Bisman's personality and motives, making him the first character in this story that we'll be looking at who isn't a villain.**

 **Lastly, there's another question at the bottom of this chapter's closing AN. If you have time, please look at it and provide your input. Now then, let's begin.**

 **Chapter 15: Revelations and a Father's Regret**

" _There can be no secrets or distrust between family members if we intend to stand strong in our defense of Sanctuary. The problems of one Rose are the problems of every Rose, and I will gladly help any of you with your issues. No matter what, you are all my children and I would gladly lay down my own life if it would keep you safe." -Aurelius to members of the Rose Family_

 **Beacon Academy, RWBY's Dorm Room**

Ruby let out a sigh as she stared up at the ceiling, still trying to wrap her head around what she had discovered. She was going over all the times Qrow had come to visit, trying to figure out if there was ever a time he might have said anything about it. Yang sat next to her on her bed, trying to help the faunus girl through it. "You sure you're ok with it sis?" Yang asked, getting a weak smile from Ruby.

"I'm not sure, I think I'd like to talk to Tai or Qrow first to see if they're willing to tell me why they kept it secret from me," Ruby said before sitting up and giving the blonde a hug. "I'm glad this doesn't change anything between us though, Yang."

"Of course it wouldn't. It doesn't matter if we're cousins instead of half-sisters, you're still a sister to me," Yang said with a grin.

Ruby slid back, smiling playfully. "So, I noticed that you seemed pretty happy to have Blake back last night…" Yang groaned. "Relax, I wasn't going to tease you about that, I just wanted to ask if _maybe_ you think Bisman was right about his Initiation joke."

Yang shrugged. "No clue, other than you defrosting the Ice Queen a bit and the kitty cat being more open lately, it seems to be one way right now. Besides, Pyrrha and Jaune would have been affected too and so far all I've seen is Pyrrha taking Jaune up to the roof to train him every night." Yang paused before turning to look at Ruby. "T-that's… That _is_ what they do up there, right? They don't just sneak up to the roof every night so they can-"

Ruby covered her ears. "Yang! Gross, don't put that image in my head!" The door opened before Weiss and Blake walked in, the two each going to their own beds before Ruby looked down from hers at the heiress. She felt bad for doing this, but she didn't want Yang to continue their line of discussion. "Hey Weiss? Can I ask you something about what happened a few days ago?"

Weiss sighed. "Sure, just don't expect me to apologize for any arguments it starts."

Ruby took a breath before starting. "When Blake said the White Fang was tired of being pushed around you said they should have waited or picked their targets better…" Weiss flinched before Ruby continued. "What did you mean by that?"

Weiss looked around, noticing Blake and Yang watching her as well before she decided to speak. "This is going to take a while to explain Ruby…"

The girl nodded. "I have time, I'm curious about what you meant."

Weiss closed her eyes before she started. "My grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, was the person who founded the SDC. He was well known for being a compassionate, charitable man that led every expedition to find more Dust. He became a Huntsman to protect his workers, willing to lay down his own life for them, but… Dust mining isn't the healthiest occupation and, eventually, he became too weak and sick to actually continue running the company. As he was trying desperately to find someone who could take over for him, a man by the name of Jacques Gelé had charmed his way into the heart of my mother, Willow, and approached Nicholas with a proposal. He would marry my mother and take on the Schnee name if my grandfather would name him as his successor. Nicholas, thinking the man truly loved his daughter, agreed to this."

"When my father inherited the company, it became clear he was nothing like my grandfather and didn't really love Willow. All he cared about was money and prestige. Rather than take care of his workers, my father only hired people who were truly desperate for the Dust mines and paid them the absolute minimum he could."

"The faunus, right?" Blake asked, getting a nod from Weiss.

"As any rational person would do, they started to become upset at being exploited, but he ignored them. As the White Fang started to organize protests and boycotts, the SDC's profit margin dropped, giving my mother, who by this point had spent years trying to be the voice of compassion my father so desperately lacked, a chance to finally get through to him, but his brother, Alphonse, spent a great deal of time trying to convince him that they were just animals. Eventually, my mother managed to get the board of directors to help convince him to consider improving the quality of life of the miners and other faunus workers…" Weiss let out a hollow laugh. "My mother and the board of directors were going to announce it at the next protest with Alphonse… But the White Fang decided they were done with peaceful protests."

Blake paled. "Y-you don't mean…"

Weiss nodded sadly. "The White Fang attacked in the middle of her speech, killing Alphonse, a large number of the directors, and seriously wounding others, including my mother. She suffered serious mental damage and never recovered, while all the directors that were still alive had either agreed with Alphonse to begin with or were now too scared for their own lives to continue supporting my mother's goal of making the faunus' lives easier. Even worse, one of the White Fang members who was captured admitted they not only _knew_ representatives of the SDC were going to speak there, but they also knew who exactly would be there. Someone in the White Fang knew what was going to happen and either didn't bother to look into it or deliberately sent along false information."

"After my father heard about what happened… I'd never seen someone so angry before. He just flew into a rage and, since my mother could no longer keep his anger in check, had the workers' benefits and wages cut to almost nothing before making the PR department paint the faunus in general as bloodthirsty animals that needed to be controlled." Weiss sighed. "It was the absolute worst timing…"

During Weiss' story, Ruby had climbed down from her bed and sat next to her partner, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry you had to go through that Weiss. Nothing like that should have ever happened…" Weiss looked at Ruby with a weak smile before someone knocked on the door, causing everyone in the room to groan before Ruby hopped up. When she opened the door, Bisman was standing on the other side. "Professor Bisman? What are you doing here?"

"Ozpin wanted me to come get you, he wants us to meet him, Professor Goodwitch, and Qrow in his office." Ruby blinked before answering.

"I-I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Bisman shook his head. "No, but if he needs Qrow there, it's something big. We'd better not keep him waiting." The man immediately turned and started walking away, leaving Ruby to scramble to grab Crescent Rose and run out, her team watching in confusion.

 **Base of the CCT Tower**

Ruby was following Bisman when she saw someone out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over, she realized the man was Qrow, causing her to glance at Bisman. "Professor Bisman, can you tell Professor Ozpin I'll be there in a minute?" Bisman let out a sigh but nodded, heading to the elevator as Ruby ran up to the other man, wrapping her arms around his arm, causing him to look at her in surprise.

"Alright, who's the pipsqueak- oh, hey there, petal, what are you up to?"

"Hey Qrow! Did you miss me?"

Qrow blinked before he responded with a smile. "No." He lowered her to the ground before she let go with a playful pout. "Seriously though, why are you here?" he asked before pulling out his flask, only for it to vanish from his hand. "What the?" He glared at Ruby, eying the container she was now holding. "Ruby, give it back."

"Not until after we meet with Professor Ozpin. Besides, I need to talk to you about something."

Qrow let out a sigh. _"Great, so Oz is involving my little rose petal in this now too, is he?"_ "Fine, but if I don't have that in my hand by the time I leave Oz's office, we're going to have a problem, got it?"

Ruby nodded and went to the elevator with Qrow in tow, waiting for the door to close before speaking up. "When were you going to tell me about you and mom?" she asked suddenly, causing Qrow to flinch.

"H-how did you-"

"Does it matter?" she looked up at the man she viewed as her uncle for most of her life sadly, ears drooping and tail low to the ground. "I just want to know why you didn't tell me, why _nobody_ told me…"

Qrow sighed as he leaned against the side of the elevator, running a hand down his face. "L-look, I didn't have much of a choice…"

"What do you mean? What could have possibly stopped you from raising me for so long? What could have stopped you from telling me I was your daughter? Did you and mom have a falling out? Were you ashamed of me? Was-" Ruby was in tears when Qrow slammed his fist into the elevator wall, cutting her off.

"I _never_ want to hear you say that I'm ashamed of you again, understand?"

"Then _why?_ "

"Because… I was ashamed of myself," Qrow said with a sigh. "My semblance makes it hard for me to be around people. Anyone who's around me just… Can't keep track of things going on around them. They just… lose all situational awareness. The worst part is I can't turn it on or off at will like most people. The only saving grace for me is that if someone's willing to stick around me long enough, they _might_ be able to adapt to it. Sometimes I get lucky and it sticks, but usually if I'm gone for a while, they need to start up from the beginning… Summer, your mom, she was one of the only people willing to stick around me long enough to build up a resistance in the first place and she was lucky enough that she didn't have to deal with it again every time I had to go off on my own to do something."

"We were married for a while when she told me you were coming along, and I won't lie and say I wasn't equal parts thrilled and terrified. By this point we'd been helping Tai deal with Raven ditching him to take care of Yang on his own, so it was easier to tell her she was going to have a little sister. As long as Summer was around, as long as Tai and I stayed alert, we could handle it. But then, one day when I was away on a mission, I heard that Summer got killed and ran back home to make sure everything was fine. Tai was so out of it he couldn't take care of anything on his own when he heard the news, so I tried to help out the best I could, but…"

He looked down and continued. "There came a day that you were running around in the yard and you got bit by a snake. A really nasty one that I knew for a fact you'd heard a number of times before. I remember sitting in the hospital thinking I'd lost my little rose petal too, all because of my semblance, and Tai… He never coped well with Summer dying, she was practically a sister to him and he blamed it on me for not being there to cover her weaknesses. When he heard about it he blamed me for what happened to you too, and for once I really couldn't argue with him… So, I did the only thing I could do, even if it hurt."

"You let Tai take care of me and pretended you were my uncle instead of him?" Ruby asked sadly.

Qrow nodded. "I made sure to visit from time to time, but I couldn't stay too long. Then one day your secondary semblance awakened and I came to visit. I was so surprised when I noticed that you were still so alert when I was around, how you were still just as aware of everything going on around you as you were any other time. I could actually spend time with you without having to worry about you getting into an accident because of my semblance. It was the happiest I'd been since you were born… But I knew I couldn't just walk up and tell you I was your dad. It wouldn't be fair to Tai, and I figured I was too much of a failure to call you my daughter. I'd promised Summer I'd take care of you if anything happened to her, and I couldn't even do that."

Qrow was surprised when a pair of arms wrapped around his arm again. "You're not a failure. After my secondary awakened, you visited every day you could and gave me advice when Tai couldn't or wouldn't. You're my father just as much as he is…" She smiled up at Qrow, tears in her eyes. "You've been as good a dad as you could be, and I love you for it."

Qrow smiled at her before wrapping her in a hug. "Thanks, petal, I needed that." They heard the elevator chime and broke apart before it opened. When they stepped out into the room, Ozpin stood up to greet them.

"Ah, Ms. Rose, Qrow, we were wondering where you were." Ruby smiled sheepishly before sitting down in front of Ozpin while Qrow gave her a pat on the shoulder before stepping next to Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch standing on the opposite side as Bisman stood staring out the window, seemingly disinterested in everything around him. "Now then, I'm sure you're wondering why you've been called up here."

"A-actually yes, professor," Ruby said as Ozpin took a sip from his hot chocolate.

"Bisman has informed me that you've made a great deal of progress towards learning about your family… He's also told me that you intend to follow in your mother's footsteps. Is that correct?"

Ruby smiled and nodded before answering. "Yes, from what I can tell this is something my family should take care of. If I sat back and watched while other people fought and died to stop something my family's been going against for thousands of years, something that I could help stop with fewer lives being lost, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Ruby noticed Qrow smile and grinned.

"Very well. Tell me, what do you know about the name Salem?"

"Nox," Ruby muttered under her breath before speaking up. "The Black Rose, Aurelius gave his life trying to destroy her, but considering the Hunts, most of my family born in the last century, including my mom, believed she somehow survived. If that's the case… She's probably the greatest threat to the world right now."

Ozpin nodded. "And what do you know about the Maidens?"

Ruby hesitated for a moment. "I know they played a part in restoring Aurelius' faith in the people of Remnant and he gave them a piece of his power or some of his knowledge. Other than that, not much."

Qrow spoke up next. "The Maidens, as I'm sure you probably suspect, are real. The power they hold has been passed down through the generations through a set of rules the Blue Rose probably made to be as inconvenient and difficult as possible."

"Qrow!" Goodwitch glared at the man before he shrugged.

"What? It's true. When a Maiden dies, their powers go to the last person they thought about, _if_ that person is a young woman. If it's a guy or a hag, their powers go to a random person who'd fit the first requirement. There's no real reason for it and it just makes keeping track of their power annoying as all hell. And if a Maiden is murdered by someone who fits the bill, well…"

Ozpin sighed before glancing at Ruby. "It's long been known that the Maiden's powers could be used for great good, as Aurelius intended, but they could also find their way into the wrong hands they could lead to disaster… Such an event _almost_ happened shortly before this year's Initiation." Ruby's eyes widened as Ozpin continued. "Amber, the current Fall Maiden, was attacked by a young woman who attempted to steal her powers from her. Qrow was able to stop the attack, but Amber is in serious condition at the moment and part of her power was already stolen. We're currently trying to keep her alive underneath this very tower, but her chances of survival are grim."

Ruby swallowed before she spoke up. "You're afraid that either she'll die and her powers will go to whoever tried to kill her or the woman will come to finish the job, aren't you?" Ozpin nodded before Ruby asked the next question. "And since you're telling me this, I'm guessing you think this is why Salem was manipulating the Hunts? Something that the Rose family knew that could stop her from doing whatever she needed to do?"

Ozpin nodded. "That's correct. In fact, we believe the woman you and Glynda encountered the night you stopped that robbery was the one who attacked the Fall Maiden. We have called you here because, now that we're aware that Salem and those under her are making their move, we need to be prepared."

Bisman turned around, looking at the group for the first time as Ozpin addressed him. "Arthur, since you were so insistent on taking part in the expedition, I expect you to keep an eye out for anything that might help us. Old relics, ancient texts, anything that might tell us something about what Salem's goals are or what she hoped to accomplish during the War of Roses. If at all possible, we might find something that could be used today to help us in our task."

Bisman's eyes glazed over for a moment before he nodded. "I think I have an idea of what to look out for…" Ozpin watched the man for a moment before turning to face Ruby.

"Ruby, we need you to get your team prepared for anything. If at all possible, try to encourage the other teams to push themselves to become as strong as possible. The more prepared they are, the more easily we can respond if the situation becomes desperate enough to need them."

Ruby nodded. "I'll take care of it Professor Ozpin." Ozpin nodded before dismissing the group, sitting in his chair for a moment before leaving as well.

 **White Fang Hideout**

Adam Taurus smiled. Today marked the fifth anniversary of the White Fang's first attack. Five years ago today, he'd convinced Sienna Khan to make an assassination attempt on members of the SDC board of directors. All it took was a… _small_ lie to convince the new leader of the White Fang that the SDC was going to clamp down on the faunus workers to get them to act. _"It doesn't matter what the Schnees said, it was only a matter of time before they started exploiting our brothers and sisters again. That's how it always is with humans, after all…"_ He was drawn out of his thoughts by the woman behind him.

"So, do you agree to allow our associate to speak at your next meeting?"

Adam scoffed. "If it will benefit the White Fang, then fine. He won't be welcome, but he will be allowed to speak." The woman nodded and turned to leave, letting Adam return to his thoughts. _"You and your "associates" are nothing more than tools to benefit the White Fang. When the time comes, we'll get rid of you as well."_

 **Okay, this chapter's done. For anyone who's upset that I had Ruby get brought into Ozpin's mysterious group, please remember that the Rose family has been fighting against Salem's influence for centuries, even if they weren't aware she was still alive until after the Great War. In order for her to follow in Summer's footsteps, Ruby would naturally have to continue that fight as well, meaning Ozpin doesn't really have a reason** _ **not**_ **to include her.**

 **Now then, on to the characters we're discussing in this chapter. Jacques Schnee is, just like in canon, motivated by money, power, and control. He likes to be in charge of the situation, even more so if he's able to trick people into doing what he wants without them realizing it. More than that, however, is his complete hatred of the faunus. To him, they're nothing more than tools and animals that need to be controlled or put down. At this point, if he's aware Weiss was paired up with Ruby he only tolerates it because he assumes Weiss has Ruby on a short leash while not allowing our favorite Rose to influence her. By the time we reach the end of volume 4, Jacques Schnee will probably be the most hated character in this story, with most major characters and groups wanting to either destroy everything he's worked for or simply get rid of him. In this story, Jacques is actually one of three people I've considered as potential members of Salem's group influencing Atlesian politics and diplomacy toward her own final goal.**

 **Adam Taurus was a character that wasn't very well defined in canon. It's obvious that he doesn't like humans and has a distinct hatred of traitors, but beyond that there isn't much of a motivation for him to do anything. In this story, after a long time considering his people's situation, he decided that humanity was the cause of all the suffering the faunus have gone through and, possibly due to an event in his past, has decided that humanity needs to pay for this suffering tenfold. Adam Taurus wants nothing more than to bring humanity to heel in the way Jacques wishes to do to the faunus at best, or the outright destruction of humanity at worst. When it comes to the faunus as well, there's two groups in his mind: those that support the White Fang and those who are traitors to their kind. If Adam Taurus takes over the White Fang in this story, expect a war between 3-4 different groups to break out.**

 **As the first nonvillainous character we're discussing in this story, Bisman's role in the plot is large enough to warrant talking about him at all. Bisman isn't much in a fight, as he himself said, but he has a talent that makes him important to the story even outside his role: he** _ **excels**_ **at finding things, whether useless trinkets or ancient texts and artifacts. To him, the most important thing is the pursuit of knowledge and history. While he loves discovery, he has a deep hatred of people who misuse knowledge and power to harm others. On top of that, there's the fact that he's always drawn towards Draconys. Even before Ozpin found him at the age of 12 and tried to direct his energy, Bisman would often find himself gazing randomly in the direction of Draconys, but since the current school year started he's found the annoying tugging to be becoming an irresistible pull. The question of whether he's going mad or there's something else at work has secretly been on the minds of many people, including Ozpin, Goodwitch, Qrow, and Bisman himself.**

 **While I was writing this (literally, as I was getting ready to upload it) I stopped to think about how I compared Sanctuary's automatons to Atlesian robotics and how I stated a Rose could call on the spirits of the dead with a blue rose and that made me realize something. Penny is sometimes considered (by some members of the fandom) to be the result of Atlas taking the soul of a person and putting it into a robot. The question, or questions I have are: do you think Sanctuary might have been able to do something similar, just before their collapse, by calling on the souls of the dead? And if you think they could have had that ability, do you think it would be interesting to use in this story?**

 **Let me know what you think in a review. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16: Food Fight and Plans Begin

**We're starting to move on to the events of Volume 2 now. The expedition to Draconys will be happening in parallel to what team RWBY's up to during this timeframe. What that means is that Bisman will** _ **not**_ **be interacting with anyone else from Beacon after chapter 17. I just wanted to say that I'm thrilled that this story's reached 51 favorites and 102 follows. As always, I hope I can continue with the quality and that you continue to enjoy it.**

 **A Simple Cup- The requirements for it would be complex, as I said in my message to you. To put it simply, it would require a very powerful or skilled Dust Sage to put a great deal of effort into making a special automaton meant to become a flesh and blood body after the binding, find an intact soul,** _ **and**_ **have the soul be willing. On top of that, unless you plan to physically go to the person's grave and use a blue rose to call on them, you'd also need to have a strong connection to the person or they had to have recently died. While the second requirement (an intact soul) might sound strange, this will eventually come into play.**

 **While doing a bit of reading, I realized that Goliaths are a type of Grimm. Since it would be confusing for this story, I decided that, in this story, the elephant Grimm will be called "Mammoths." I'm putting this in here so that everyone understands the difference.**

 **Now then, let's start the chapter.**

 **Chapter 16: Food Fight and Plans Begin**

" _A number of forts are being established in the Dragon's Talons to hold Sentinel and Goliath garrisons and hunting parties. As we have cleared the lands around Point Refuge and Jormungand's Plains, it can only be assumed that the source of the Grimm is in the northern half of Draconys. The Templar Vulcan has been deployed to oversee construction" -Aurelius, 370 years into the reign of the Second Triumvirate_

 **Vale Streets**

Mr. Campbell smiled happily as he stepped down from the ladder after hanging up a banner over his store's doorway. He was finally able to reopen his store after the incident with Roman Torchwick. He was about to unlock the door when he felt someone tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me, could you maybe help me out?"

The old man turned around to see a dark-skinned teen with red eyes and green hair. He smiled kindly at the girl. "Of course, what can I do for you?"

She scratched the back of her head before holding out a piece of paper and explaining the situation. "See, I'm not from around here and I was hoping you might be able to point me in the direction of this shop?"

Mr. Campbell looked at the address before smiling, pointing off behind her. "Just go straight ahead two blocks and turn right. It'll be the third building down on the left side of the street."

The girl smiled and nodded. "Got it, thanks." She started walking away, waving at the old man before bumping into a man in a business suit, using the opportunity to grab his wallet. She walked past an alleyway before a boy stepped out behind her.

"I knew you were lost Emerald," he said with a smug grin.

"Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up," the girl said, holding up the wallet.

"That's not your money," he said, shaking his head.

"No, but it _could_ be yours, for five minutes of silence," she said, waving it in front of him while she suppressed a growl. _"I refuse to let a paid killer judge me on where_ my _money comes from!"_

Mercury hummed for a moment before looking at her. "No deal." Emerald let out a growl before removing some Lien and throwing the wallet on the ground, pocking the rest as her partner followed her with a grin. "This place is so dull…" he muttered after a while before Emerald spoke up.

"I kind of like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture…"

"And nice, dopey people who are easy to pickpocket, right?"

Emerald stopped for a moment, hands on her hips. "That's _every_ city."

Mercury turned around to face her, holding his hands up in an attempt to look scared. "Oh Emerald, Master Thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!" he mocked, getting a glare from Emerald before she moved past him.

" _I hate people like him…"_ she growled to herself before opening the door to a bookstore. While Mercury went to search through the shelves, Emerald rang the bell.

"Be right there!" a man called out from the back before stepping out with a large stack of books. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun!" He glanced at the girl in front of him and paused. "How may I help you?"

Mercury spoke up from the front of the shop. "Just browsing." He slammed a book shut before putting it back on the shelf.

"Actually, I was wondering if you had a copy of "The Thief and the Butcher" by any chance," Emerald said, leaning against the desk.

"Y-yes I do. Would you like one?"

"No, just checking…" She sighed as she heard a book slam shut behind her. "Oh! What about "Violet's Garden" in paperback?"

"He's got it… Hardback too." Mercury said.

"Options are nice, aren't they?" Mercury let out a grunt before lazily tossing the book back onto the shelf "What about… "Third Crusade?" Do you have that one?"

Tukson frowned suddenly. "Uh… I… Don't believe I have that one."

Mercury slammed another book shut as Emerald sighed. _"I really wish he'd stop that…"_ "You're Tukson right?" When she got a nod, she continued. "So, I take it you're the one who came up with the catchphrase?" He nodded again.

"So, you claim to have every book under the sun when you don't?" Mercury chimed up from the front as he closed the blinds.

"It's just a catchphrase."

"It's false advertising!" Mercury said as he walked towards the counter, Emerald taking a step back.

"You really shouldn't make a promise you can't keep Tukson…" Emerald said. "I hear you're planning on leaving, moving all the way to Vacuo. Your brothers in the White Fang wouldn't be happy to hear about that… And neither are we." She glanced at Mercury. "You can take care of this, right?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Just go keep watch." Emerald nodded before walking out and standing by the door, waiting for her partner to finish up. It didn't take long as she heard a muffled gunshot and Mercury walked out with a comic. _"Wow, he mocks me when he steals from the dead?"_ She let out a sigh before heading back to the hideout.

 **Beacon Cafeteria**

Yang glanced over to the side as Ruby sat down, looking at a notebook Blake was glancing through. "Whatcha doing?" She said with a smile, causing her partner to jump.

"N-nothing, just looking through notes from last semester," Blake responded before closing the notebook. _"I can't let them know I'm looking into the White Fang…"_

Yang rolled her eyes. "Lame," she said before opening her mouth, catching a grape Nora tossed across the lunch table. This continued until Ruby sat down with a plate of cookies, quickly taking a pill before she went to grab a cookie.

Weiss looked over and decided to speak up. "Hey, Ruby, I've been curious for a while, but what are the pills for?"

Ruby blinked before responding. "Oh, well, see, I'm a wolf faunus, which means I have to watch out for chocolate since it's normally toxic to dogs and wolf faunus like me, but when I was a kid my mom let me have some chocolate chip cookies with this medicine so I could eat them and it turns out I _love_ chocolate chip cookies! So I have to get this medicine to counter the effect so I can eat them, because, you know, I might love chocolate but I like to breathe too, so-"

"Maybe you should try it some time," Weiss interrupted with a grin, causing the rest of her team to look at her before Yang burst out laughing and Ruby grinned at her, causing Weiss to blush a bit.

"Wow Weiss, first you let Ruby _thaw_ that heart of yours, now you're copying her sense of humor! If I didn't know any better, I'd think the pup's rubbing off on you!"

Weiss scoffed looking away. "As if that could happen." She glanced down as a thought crossed her mind. _"Although… Considering how compassionate and caring Ruby is, would that really be such a bad thing?"_ Ruby drew her attention back to the table.

"We really need to keep practicing for the Vytal Festival Tournament though," she said, avoiding mention of what she learned recently. "We need to make sure we can kick the tournament off with a bang and stay on top of everything!"

Yang smirked and Ruby let out a groan. "I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather kick it off with a _Yang!_ " A tomato suddenly hit the girl in the face before anyone else could respond.

"Look, I know the tournament's only at the end of the school year and that seems like a long way off, but we can't just breeze through it like our sparring matches with team CRDL. If we want to show everyone what we're capable of, we can't slack off, right?"

"I don't know if I should be proud that you're taking it this seriously or scared of what you have planned Ruby," Weiss said as Yang tossed an apple across the room.

"I think I'm going to sit this out, sorry guys," Blake said, causing Weiss to look at her.

"Whatever we do, we _should_ spend this last day before classes start back up as a team. Ruby's right, we should-" A pie smacked into the side of Weiss' head, causing Yang to flinch as Ruby glanced towards Nora with a glare.

 **Outside with Sun and Neptune**

"I'm telling you, the people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys," Sun said, glancing at the blue-haired boy next to him.

"None taken," he said with a shrug.

"Okay, they're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. Just be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?"

"Dude, did you forget who you're talking to?" the other boy said with a grin.

"Good point…" Sun opened the door and jumped back as several dozen students ran out screaming, clothes stained and soaked. Sun and Neptune glanced into the building as they heard a barking laugh, seeing Nora standing on top of a massive pile of tables with the rest of team JNPR around her. Sun grinned widely as Neptune nervously looked around.

"I'm queen of the castle!" Nora chanted before Ruby jumped up on a table on the other side of the room, pointing at the girl.

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!" she cried out as her team cheered, enjoying the moment to actually act like a normal girl her age. The members of team JNPR started flinging watermelons across the cafeteria. "Yang, turkeys!" she shouted before the blonde sprang forward, using a pair of turkeys as gloves to protect her hands as she shattered the first few before slamming her fists together, releasing a blast of flames that incinerated the rest as they got too close.

Blake leapt over her partner, grabbing a pair of baguettes as she did so while Yang flung the turkeys, hitting Jaune in the face and knocking him off his feet. While she did this, Blake jumped forward and tried to hit Pyrrha, who blocked the attack with a baguette of her own. The duo continued fighting for a while, Blake blinking away and leaving a copy of herself occasionally to distract Pyrrha before the redhead got a hit on her. Pyrrha used the opportunity to throw the baguette at Yang like a javelin, which the blonde blocked with a punch before another hit her in the stomach.

Ruby jumped up on the table, sliding across on a tray as her cloak disintegrated into petals. She ignored the baguette Pyrrha threw at her as it was blown to the side by her semblance, continuing on before she jumped off the table and pushed the redhead to the ground with the tray as her cloak reformed. Ren and Nora charged at her, causing her to step to the side as Weiss walked forward. The temperature dropped as a thin layer of ice coated the ground in front of the heiress, causing Ren to slip and slam into a group of tables while Nora jumped up into the air, breaking a pole off a wall and slamming one end into a watermelon.

Nora grinned as she moved to swing her makeshift hammer into Weiss, only for Ruby to jump in the way and take the hit, sending her flying while Weiss picked up a swordfish. The heiress charged Nora and quickly pushed her back before getting hit in the stomach, hurtling across the cafeteria and slamming into a pillar, causing it to collapse as she fell to the ground. Ruby let out a gasp and burst forward to grab the girl before she could be crushed. "Weiss! Weiss! Don't leave me!" she cried dramatically, trying to hide her genuine concern for the girl before she shouted a dramatic "No!"

Yang ran forward as Ren got up, grabbing a pair of leeks as he ran at the blonde. After a short fight, Yang sent him into the air with an uppercut before jumping up and punching him in the back of the head, sending him into the ground hard enough to crack the floor. She had barely touched the ground when Nora hit her with an underhand swing, sending her through the ceiling. Pyrrha, just recovering from the hit she took earlier, quickly used her semblance to lift all the soda cans in the cafeteria and fling them at Blake while she was distracted taking out Nora.

Ruby watched her fellow faunus get badly beaten with a growl before kneeling down, getting ready to charge. Just before she started moving, she fully activated Rose Storm. Her cloak disintegrated and she launched forward in a blur, everything she passed getting yanked off the ground by the vortex her Speed and Wind aspects created in her wake before her feet left the ground. She spun in the air momentarily before dissolving into a swirling mass of rose petals, yanking Ren and Jaune off the ground while Pyrrha desperately tried to stop any metallic debris from being dragged along.

" _How is she able to do this? I can't even slow any of it down!"_ Pyrrha thought in a panic before she was yanked off her feet. Ruby reformed suddenly a few feet short of the back wall, the shockwave causing part of it to simply collapse. Once her cloak reformed, she sprinted to the side and out of the way as almost everything in the building was sucked out through the hole, including team JNPR.

Sun glanced at Neptune and grinned, ignoring the fact that the blue-haired boy was covered in about a dozen different flavors of soda. "See? I love these guys!"

The door opened up and Glynda walked in, growling, making Ruby whimper as her ears drooped. "O-oops?" the girl said meekly as the professor got to work repairing the damage, tables flying around the room before landing in orderly rows and the pieces of wall and floor melding together.

"Children please…" Professor Goodwitch said, pushing her glasses up. "Do _not_ play with your food." The two teams stood meekly in the middle of the room as Ruby quickly tried to catch her breath and Weiss walked next to Yang as soon as she fell through the ceiling, trying desperately to get rid of the chill going through her.

Ozpin walked up to Goodwitch and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let it go…"

"They're _supposed_ to be the defenders of the world."

"They will be, but for now, they're still children. So why not let them enjoy their innocence while they can?"

 **Later that night, RWBY's dorm room**

Ruby sat at her desk, headphones on as she listened to the recordings from the day. It hadn't been easy, but she'd managed to get the radio equipment set up without much question from the rest of her team. She hummed as she used the speed aspect of her semblance to keep up with the accelerated playback, going through an hour's worth of audio in six minutes. Eventually it slowed down, causing her to deactivate her semblance as she listened in on what was being said. She let out a sigh as she realized the bug wasn't good enough to easily tell who she was hearing, but it was the best she could get on such short notice. _"So, maybe three or four people, I_ think… _I guess I should be lucky he didn't notice the bug yet though…"_

 **White Fang Hideout, with Torchwick, Emerald, and Mercury**

Emerald and Mercury walked past the group of White Fang agents that were unloading a bullhead, causing Torchwick to glance at them. "Oh look, she sent the kids again! This is turning out just like the divorce," he said sarcastically as he wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Mercury shuddered before Emerald spoke up.

"Spare us the thought of you Procreating."

"That was a joke. And this-" He held up a note as he turned around, causing Emerald to go wide-eyed. "-just might tell me where you two have been all day." Emerald gasped and went to check her pocket in confusion. "I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention and you might learn something." He glanced at the paper before glaring at them. "Why do you have this address?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald asked as he walked back up to them.

"Yeah, I would. Now, where have you been all day?"

"Cleaning up your problems," Mercury said as he stepped forward. "One of them, at least."

Torchwick growled before he responded. "I had that under control!"

"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise."

"Listen, punk, if it were up to me, I would take you and your little _friend_ here and I would-"

"Do what, exactly, Roman?" Torchwick let out a whimper as a woman in a red dress stepped out of the shadows, walking up to him.

"I-I would… _not_ kill them?" he said nervously. _"God, why did I have to get caught up in these nuts? I could have just passed up this job and been happy with what I had…"_

"Cinder!" Emerald called out with a smile as she walked over to the other girl's side.

"I thought I made it clear that you were to eliminate the would-be runaway," Cinder said as she looked at Torchwick.

"I was going to!"

"He was going to escape to Vacuo! Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat."

"I think he was some sort of cat actually," Mercury chimed in before Roman spoke up.

"My plan was to wait until he left the city. Kill him, get rid of the body, make it seem like he was the victim of a Grimm attack. That way people wouldn't _notice_ a shift from Dust theft to murder and start to get worried!"

"Quiet, all of you," Cinder said before glancing at Emerald and Mercury. "Didn't I specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?"

"I just thought-" Emerald said nervously before Cinder continued.

"Don't think. _Obey._ " Cinder growled.

"Y-yes ma'am. It won't happen again."

Cinder turned to Torchwick. "And you." He let out a whimper before she continued. " _Why_ wasn't this your top priority?"

Torchwick let out a series of exasperated grunts as he gestured wildly around the warehouse. " _Excuse me_ if I was too busy stealing every speck of Dust in Vale like you asked!"

"You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a ski-mask," Mercury said sarcastically, causing Roman to growl as Emerald rolled her eyes.

"Look around kid, I've got this town running scared. Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting in the middle of a warehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and rounds that we could ever know what to do with! Besides, like I said, with how alert people were _before_ I was told to take care of that Tukson guy, I couldn't send anyone after him _until_ he left the city walls or else it'd be traced back to me and, by extension, your little group. It wouldn't be good for people to freak out about dust thieves going around killing people, now would it?"

Emerald looked down and let out a sigh. "I hate to admit it, but he's right." Cinder and Mercury looked at her while Torchwick blinked. After a moment, he continued speaking.

"Now then, if you guys wouldn't mind filling me in on your grand-master plan, it _might_ actually make my next string of robberies go a little smoother!"

"Oh Roman, have a little faith…" Cinder said as she stepped forward, causing Torchwick to take a nervous step back. "You'll know what you need when you need to know it." He let out a grunt as she continued. "Besides, we're done with Dust."

"Okaay, then, what now?"

"We're moving. Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates soon."

"…Coordinates?"

"We're proceeding with phase two." Roman let out a grunt as he watched the trio walk away, looking for his lighter before he saw Emerald hold it up. _"Got to hand it to her, she might be a kid, but I'm impressed she could snag that off me while I was picking_ her _pocket at the same time…"_

 **RWBY's Dorm Room**

Ruby let out a sigh as she took off the headphones. _"Great, so Torchwick doesn't know anything that's going on. All I learned is that they're_ Somewhere _within the walls right now, but that they're probably moving out into the wilderness or some abandoned settlement. Other than that, it sounds like whatever they're up to needed them to kill a White Fang deserter and the Dust is just part of their plan… I_ think _I heard someone mention a "Cinder" but that's a pretty common name, so that's no help either… It sounded like Torchwick was scared of her though, I'm not sure what that means exactly…"_ Ruby glanced down at her notepad before closing it up and turning off the equipment, letting out a sigh. _"I guess all I can do is give this to Professor Ozpin tomorrow morning…"_

 **Okay, this chapter is done now. Yes, Ruby is listening in on Torchwick, but because she got the bug on a whim with short notice it isn't good enough for her to actually recognize any voices she hears on it as a result of recording quality, the distance that it's transmitting over, and the fact that it's in Roman's pocket. This means that unless she gets a full name or the name of a location she can't do much about what she hears, and even then, it requires Roman to be in the room when it's said. If she could get ahold of the bug she might be able to get a slightly better-quality playback with the range factor no longer being an issue.**

 **Now then, let's talk about Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. In this story, pre-Volume 4 Cinder is driven by only two things: a hunger for power and desire for control. Her possession of part of the Fall Maiden's power makes her a valid threat to members of the Rose family, but puts her in stark contrast against Dr. Watts. While both of them can make plans, Cinder's plans don't consider unknown variables (such as Qrow's presence during the attack on Amber or the possibility of Ruby awakening the power of her eyes) into account. On top of this, while Watts prefers to rely on his skill and wits in a fight against a Rose, Cinder will often attempt to rely on sheer power to take one of them down, leaving her much more vulnerable in a fight. Watts views Cinder with disdain for her failure in accounting for the possibility that someone would be protecting the Fall Maiden and considers her an amateur, while Cinder views him as too narcissistic and arrogant. After the Battle of Beacon, she'll obviously be driven by revenge and have learned from her mistakes, naturally.**

 **Emerald's character in this story is more fun for me to write: If you watch the first episode of Volume 2, you'll notice that she doesn't take all the money from the wallet and later episodes reveal that she seems to prefer only targeting people who can afford to lose money, as well as her somewhat horrified reaction to the destruction during the Battle of Beacon. This led me to write her as, possibly, the only character that's part of Salem's group that has a working and proper moral compass: she might be a thief and driven initially by wealth, but she won't steal for the poor, the dead, or the elderly simply out of respect or (in the case of the poor) because they need it more. While she's willing to help out with Cinder's schemes, she isn't aware of the end goal and is strongly against hurting others more than she has to, especially killing innocents. Her part in the Battle of Beacon may come back to haunt her afterwards, leaving her driven more by her own shame and guilt from abandoning her own values, even unintentionally. This puts her in stark contrast to Mercury.**

 **Mercury, like Emerald, is driven by greed, he has no moral compass except for one aspect: he considers theft to be pathetic and the work of weaklings or cowards. For him, the only money and wealth that matters is what you earn. On top of that, being raised by an assassin leaves him with no qualms against murder. As a result, he's perfectly fine with being paid to kill someone and steal whatever they have because, in his mind, he can take whatever he wants from someone once he kills them. This also means that Emerald is disgusted by the thought of robbing him because she knows he's killed for everything he has. If she ever did steal from him, expect that whatever she got would appear in some donation box somewhere instead of her own pocket.**


	17. Chapter 17: Arrivals and Departure

**Expedition starts this chapter. I don't have much else to say right now, I hope you enjoy this.**

 **Chapter 17: Arrivals and Departure**

" _A number of Grimm have been spotted between Sanctuary and the forts in the Dragon's Talons. Most likely, they're either using a cave system to circumvent our defenses or they have a breeding ground within the mountains. Salem has volunteered to lead the expedition into the area and determine if we've located a source of the Grimm. The Bastion Project will continue on schedule." -Aurelius, two years before the War of Roses_

 **Beacon, Ozpin's Office**

Bisman let out a sigh as he walked over to Goodwitch and Ozpin, looking out the window at the series of Atlesian warships approaching the landing pad, a larger cruiser staying in the air as a group of bullheads departed it. "Leave it to General Ironwood to bring his toy soldiers wherever he goes."

Goodwitch scoffed before speaking up. "He certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels."

Ozpin glances at the two. "Running an academy and a military makes him a busy man. But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."

Bisman rolls his eyes. "That doesn't explain why he needed to bring two destroyers and a _cruiser_ with him! He could have left a colonel in charge or something. The last thing we need right now is people freaking out about a potential invasion!"

The door beeped before Ozpin walked to his desk and hit a button, opening the door. A man in a white stepped through with Ruby standing nervously next to him. "Ozpin."

The headmaster faced the man, hands behind his back. "General Ironwood."

"Please, drop the formalities." He steps forward and shakes Ozpin's hand. "It's been too long. And Glynda! It's certainly been too long since we last met."

Glynda rolls her eyes. "Oh James…"

Ruby watched awkwardly as Ironwood and Ozpin walked over to the desk, Ozpin offering Ironwood a cup. "So… What in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?"

"Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year. Besides, with you hosting the Vytal Festival I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up."

"Right, and making an already scared city have to worry about an army floating above them is just a bonus, isn't it?" Bisman remarked before Ironwood glared at him.

"Bisman, don't you have some old ruins to disturb?"

Ozpin sighs. "He does have a valid point. This large a force isn't something that you often need after all." He glances behind Ironwood and notices the girl still standing in the elevator. "Ah, Ruby, is there something you needed?"

Ruby glances around before stepping forward, holding a notebook in her hand. "I-I was just going to report on something I heard last night. Should I come back later?"

Ozpin smiled at her. "Please, come in, Ironwood is aware of the situation, just as you are."

Ironwood frowned. "Ozpin, you can't be serious. You told a child about this?"

Ozpin sighed. "James, she's a Rose. If I didn't involve her in this it would only be a matter of time before she went off and started searching on her own."

The general rubbed her head. "Fine, but you're the one who has to take responsibility if she gets hurt."

Ruby growled before stepping forward to stand in front of the desk. "I managed to plant a bug on Roman Torchwick in our last encounter at the docks and was checking to see what it picked up. Some time last night, he had a discussion with three other people about his operations with the White Fang. Apparently, a woman by the name of Cinder is the mastermind of what's going on, but it's a common name and no surname was mentioned, so I can't narrow it down from there if it was even really her name. Other than that, it seems Cinder expected Torchwick to kill a rogue White Fang operative somewhere in the city, some kind of cat faunus, but he refused due to the fact his thefts have drawn too much attention to him and he felt the murder of a rogue White Fang member would send people into a panic."

She took a deep breath as Ironwood blinks. "Other than that, it seems that Torchwick and the White Fang were operating out of an old warehouse somewhere here in Vale, but Cinder decided that they should change locations. She mentioned coordinates, so I _assume_ they're moving to a location outside the city walls. There was also a mention of them moving into the second stage of their plans." She looked up. "Whatever they're planning, it's probably going to start soon… That's all, Professor Ozpin."

Ozpin nodded. "Thank you for that Ms. Rose. Now go, get some rest, spend time with your team. Prepare for the tournament if you so choose."

Ruby nodded and looked around the room. "Thank you, Professor Ozpin. Good luck on the expedition, Professor Bisman." She glanced at Ironwood and glared at him for a moment. " _General_." She turned and walked back to the elevator as Bisman followed a short distance behind.

"I should go get ready. Ozpin, do me a favor…" Bisman turned to face the rest of the group. " _Don't_ let Ironwood do anything stupid, okay? If everything goes as planned we should be returning a week after the tournament. I'd really like to be able to come back to Beacon and _not_ worry about it being blown up."

As soon as the elevator doors closed Ironwood let out a sigh. "I don't know why you keep Bisman around, Ozpin. His presence gets annoying quickly."

Ozpin lets out a sigh before putting his hands on the desk. "It's because, no matter how… _difficult_ he can be to work with, he's extremely capable at what he does. My main concern is that he has minimal combat abilities and he requested to take part in an expedition on the most dangerous continent in all of Remnant." He leans back before continuing. "Besides, he isn't wrong in this case. We're in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."

"But if what Qrow said is true-"

"If what Qrow said is true, we will handle it tactfully. Bisman is already looking into possible solutions the people of Sanctuary might have for the current situation, Qrow is hunting down leads, and even Ruby is keeping an eye on things as best she can while looking into her family's forgotten knowledge. It's the Vytal Festival, a time to celebrate unity and peace. So, I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers across an ocean."

"I'm just being cautious."

"As am I, which is why we will be continuing to train the best Huntsman and Huntresses we can while the few remaining people capable of doing so try to find ways to make things easier."

Ironwood sighed before turning to walk away, speaking over his shoulder as he did so. "Do you really think your children can win a war?" Ozpin sighed as the elevator closed.

 **Beacon Library**

Team RWBY sat around a table playing a board game, Ruby glancing at her hand and the board and thinking quietly before she pointed across the table. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle! I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet, which means I can fly over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!"

"You fiend!" Yang cried out dramatically.

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts one turn." Ruby grinned happily until she saw Yang hold up a card.

"I activate Giant Nevermore! If I roll a seven or higher, your fleet will be torn apart!"

"But if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore takes out your forces instead!"

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take!" Yang said as she rolled the dice, causing Ruby to cry out in frustration before her head hit the table.

"No! My Fearless Soldiers!"

"Eh, most of them were probably androids."

"Goodbye my friends…" Ruby sobbed dramatically, causing Weiss to roll her eyes. "You will be avenged."

"Not until I draw my rewards, which are doubled this round since I control the Mistral Trade Route! And what's this? The Smugglers of Wind Path? Looks like I'm taking two cards from your hand." Ruby let out a whimper before she looked away, ears flat against her head. "Well Weiss, it's your turn!"

The heiress glanced at her hand in confusion. "I have… Absolutely no idea what's going on."

Yang leaned over and grinned as she looked at Weiss' cards. "Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo, which means all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus!"

"That sounds dumb…"

"See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge, and Resourceful Raider! Now you can take Ruby's discarded air fleet-" Ruby let out a sob at this. "-and put it in _your_ hand!"

"Okay…"

"And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance boost against natural hazards, you could use Sandstorm to disable my ground and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!"

"And that means… What exactly?"

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant, but Yang wouldn't help you if she didn't have something ready to counter it already!"

Weiss smiled at this before she stood up and got ready for her turn before Yang spoke up. "Trap card…"

Weiss blinked and sadly watched as Yang quickly moved around the pieces sitting on the board. "H-huh?"

"Your armies have been destroyed," Yang said smugly as Weiss dropped back into her chair, starting to cry.

"I hate this game of emotions we play!"

Ruby suddenly jumped into her arms, crying too. "Stay strong Weiss! We'll make it through this together, even if Yang never lets anyone else win!"

Weiss blushed slightly but decided to play along. "Shut up! Don't touch me!" she cried out before wrapping her arms around Ruby. They were broken out of it by Yang laughing.

"Wow, get a room, lovebirds!" The two quickly jumped apart as Weiss glared at Yang and Ruby pulled her hood over her head in an attempt to hide her blush.

"Yang Xiao Long, I swear I'll make you regret that joke!" Weiss growled out, trying to get her mind off the way Ruby almost nuzzled against her neck… Or how nice she smelled… Or how soft her tail was. _"Oh god, what's wrong with me?"_

Yang grinned before looking at Blake. "Blake, your turn."

The cat faunus glanced at Yang for a moment before looking at her hand. "S-sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant!"

"R-right…"

Jaune walked over and smiled. "Hey, can I play?"

"Sorry Jaune, we've already got four people…" Ruby said.

"Besides, I'll have you know this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt you possess," Weiss said before Yang scoffed.

"You attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago…" Weiss pouted before Jaune leaned forward.

"Bring it on Ice Queen! It can't be that hard t-to play…" Everyone flinched as the temperature in the room dropped.

" _Never_ call me that, understood?" Jaune nodded quickly.

"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn, please?"

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!"

"Oh come on, you've trusted me with way more important stuff before, like how Blake is secretly a-" Jaune felt his tongue and jaw go numb from the cold before he stopped talking.

"I get the distinct impression we should have never said that to you," Weiss said while the rest looked at a glaring Blake before Sun walked up with Neptune.

"'Sup losers?" he said with a grin.

"Hey Sun," Ruby said with a smile.

"Ruby, Blake, Yang, Ic- I mean, Weiss…" Sun scratched the back of his head nervously before continuing. "I never got a chance to introduce you to my old friend."

The blue-haired boy gave a half wave as he spoke up. "I'm Neptune."

"So, Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked with a smile. Honestly, she was glad to have finally met a boy she found attractive, or at least interesting, since she arrived at Beacon. _"The only other person that I've had any interest in is Ruby, and I'd really hope it's just because the wolf ears and tail are cute…"_ she thought to herself. She wasn't sure how anyone would react if they found out she was attracted to a girl or a faunus, especially her family. They weren't the most supportive of her in normal situations, after all…

"Haven…" he said before stepping over to her. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel." Ruby struggled to suppress the growl at the obvious flirt.

"Um, I'm Weiss…" _"Seriously? What is it with people calling me that?"_

"Pleasure to meet you."

Sun leaned over Blake's shoulder and looked at the table. "I never took you as the board-game-playing type!" She glared at him before standing up.

"Right, I think I'm done playing actually. I'll see you guys later." Ruby glanced at her fellow faunus for a moment before looking over the rest of her team with a sigh.

 **Later that night, RWBY's Dorm Room**

Blake sat on her bed staring out at the sky. She let out a frustrated sigh as her thoughts returned to the conversation she had with Ozpin after the incident at the docks. _"Why does he think I'd just come to him with anything? What difference would it make except for me being thrown in jail or something?"_ She glanced at the door as it was shoved open by an angry Yang, a smug Ruby and Weiss behind her.

"You're just mad you _finally_ lost and it was the new guy, Yang!" Weiss was walking to her bed when she turned around and pointed at Blake before she could get to the door.

"Stop! Lately you've been quiet, antisocial, and moody, more so than normal. Quite frankly, it's unacceptable. You told all of us you'd let us know if something was wrong! So, what's been bothering you so much lately?!"

Blake sighed. "I-I just… I don't understand how everyone can be so calm."

Ruby sighed from her desk, putting the headphones down. "You're still thinking about Torchwick?"

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and nobody is doing anything about it!" Blake looked around the room in frustration.

"Ozpin told us not to worry about it, between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they could handle it," Yang said before Ruby spoke up, cutting off Blake's response.

"A-actually, he just told the three of you not to worry about it…" The rest of her team looked at her as she let out a sigh. "You're wrong Blake, people _are_ doing something about it. My dad, Qrow, is looking for leads right now, Bisman's going to Draconys to try and see if he can find some tech that can help us, and I'm…" She unplugged the headphones and started up the equipment, causing Roman's voice to play through the room briefly before she stopped it. "I'm doing my best to keep an eye on things and continue Bisman's translations. Ozpin _is_ on top of things, and while I can't tell most people for various reasons…" Ruby made a quick glance at Weiss, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "I can tell you that we're doing something about it."

"It doesn't matter! The police, the Huntsman, you, Ozpin, none of you know the White Fang like I do!" Blake said, waving her arms wildly.

"Then why don't you help us?" The other people in the room froze for a moment before Weiss spoke up.

"Ruby, do you really think we can handle this sort of situation? We're only students."

Ruby grinned from her chair. "Well, yeah, but why do you think I've been pushing so hard for us to practice? Or why I went all out on team JNPR during the food fight? Ozpin _wants_ me to make sure the four of us are ready at the minimum, but he'd like if I could get as many of the other teams to take training seriously enough for us to be able to help out if they need to." She glances around the room before continuing. "Weiss is right, we're not ready… Yet. Ozpin's trusting us to help out in any way we can, and I was hoping I'd be able to get us to train a bit more before saying anything to any of you. The fact is, we don't know where Torchwick is hiding right now and we don't know who he's working for, let alone what they're planning… All I know is, their plans are still moving forward right now. We don't have the luxury of waiting right now."

"Then we should do something about it while we still have time!" Blake shouted, causing Yang to grin.

"Yeah! Let's do it, I love it when your feisty!" she said, causing Blake to look away in embarrassment.

Weiss nodded. "I suppose I wouldn't be a very good friend or teammate if I backed down now."

Ruby nodded before standing up. "Alright then, we'll start training tomorrow and spend the evenings looking for leads, I'm just going to go let Professor Goodwitch know we'll be using the training area for the next week or so." As she stepped out of the door she accidently bumped into someone, causing her to turn around. "Oh! Sorry!"

"It's okay, just watch where you're going," A green-haired girl said with a slight smile.

Ruby hummed before she smiled, filing away the familiar voice for later. "I'm Ruby, are you new?"

Another girl answered behind the boy and girl in front of her. "Visiting from Haven, actually."

Ruby glanced at the three people in front of her, quickly memorizing the faces. _"The two girls sound like the ones talking to Torchwick last night, but it could be a coincidence, and even if they were the same girls I have no way of proving it…"_ "So you're here for the festival then? Exchange students have their own dormitory."

"I guess we just got turned around," the boy said, making Ruby frown.

" _Yeah, I doubt this is a coincidence, but there's not much I can do to prove it…"_ "It happens all the time, you want building… J I think? I'm not sure, but I know the one you want is to the east a bit."

The black-haired girl smiled before walking past Ruby. "Thanks, maybe we'll see you around."

"Maybe. And welcome to Beacon!" _"Just don't expect us to make it easy if you_ are _up to something."_

 **Vale Expedition Ship, on the way to Draconys**

Bisman let out a sigh as he glanced at the map. _"Alright, so, if we follow the eastern route, we'll reach Point Refuge a few days early, and from there we can look to see if there's any other landing points…"_ He glanced a bit west and his eyes glazed over as he tapped a point on the map. _"Of course, this place is halfway between Point Refuge and the city of Sanctuary, if we land here…"_ He shook his head in confusion. He wasn't sure why he thought that. He never read about a suitable landing site there, there wasn't _mention_ of anything other than cliffs along that part of the shore… But for some reason he just felt like there _should_ be one there. _"Maybe I really am going mad,"_ he thought before a headache hit, almost causing him to black out as a vision hit him.

 **Bisman's Vision**

 _Bisman found himself walking along a path inside a city. He glanced around to see elegant, gothic buildings on either side of the road as he walked beside a man with a cane and glasses. "So, what did you want me to see, Oscar?" he heard before the man glanced at him with a smile. Before the man could respond, the vision faded._

 **And we're done with this chapter. From now on, there won't be a guarantee that each chapter will have a quote at the beginning. Each chapter will, however, have a portion of the expedition included at some point during it, possibly with Bisman having another vision. Anyone who can guess what any of the visions might mean, if anything, will get a shout out in the next chapter, unless they somehow manage to pick apart a major plot point out of it, so remember to leave a review. Also, Ruby has suspicions on who she spoke to, but both because of the quality of the recording and the fact that only Ozpin would really take it seriously with nothing else as proof, she can't act on her suspicions.**

 **I might end up taking a day off to rest and organize my thoughts some time in the next week, I'm not sure when exactly so I'm letting everyone know right now.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. As always, input is welcome.**


	18. Chapter 18: Investigations and Landfall

**Before we start I'd like to point out something I neglected to explain in the last chapter. I found the idea of there only being a single type of warship in the Atlesian air fleet, or at least only one type making up the group sent to Vale for the Vytal Festival. In this story, there are at least three types of warships that make up the Atlesian air fleet. The destroyers are the type seen in canon, equipped exclusively with forward-facing guns for a direct engagement or long-range bombardment and able to land on the pads like a bullhead could. The second type would be simply called cruisers, which would be larger than the destroyers (maybe 1.5 times the size) and can only "land" at Beacon by docking at the pier, similar to the civilian airships from the first episode of RWBY. The cruisers would be equipped with forward-facing lasers like the destroyers, but also have shorter range turrets for defense against more agile threats. After that would be battleships, airships so large that they'd require a special docking facility to land and are equipped almost exclusively with turret-mounted laser cannons, miniguns, and possibly rocket launchers. For the purposes of this story, it would be safe to assume there's only one battleship in the Atlesian air fleet.**

 **Since I've only received positive feedback on the idea of someone being able to bind a soul to a Draconian automaton, I've decided to include that in this. The inactive automaton would be called an "Avatar" for this.**

 **Also, I'd like to say that I'm happy with the progress I'm making so far. This story's been up for two weeks now and I never expected to write this much in such a short timeframe. I'm glad people continue to enjoy it and I hope I can continue with quality updates.**

 **SirSpangler- Ruby didn't ask them for their names for a few reasons. As I said before, the quality of the recording wouldn't quite be good enough to be certain that they had the same voices, only that they sounded** _ **similar**_ **. Secondly, Ruby only had one name from the recording, besides Torchwick's, which lacked a surname or family name and, as Ruby admitted, might not even be the real name of the woman she heard. Ruby's aware she doesn't have much to go by since she didn't get a full name for any of them and she only has the vague sound of their voices. At this point, she can't focus entirely on trying to link them to Torchwick without giving him the freedom to act without interference, on top of the risk that they'll get suspicious. She'll keep an eye on them, but she'll only do so in a way that can be brushed off as watching the potential competition.**

 **Chapter 18: Investigations and Landfall**

 **Draconys, Point Refuge**

Bisman let out a sigh as he walked down the road, a grey cloak wrapped around him as he glanced around. Other than a few collapsed supports, the partially destroyed outer wall, and ruined buildings near the edge of the city, Point Refuge was fairly well-preserved. He watched as a pair of Sentinels and a Champion marched past, weapons in hand as their gazes swept over the area. He noticed the team of Hunters behind him step out of the way nervously before he sighed. "Greene, I was told your team knew what to expect. The smaller automatons aren't a threat at this point. If anything, they're probably the reason the city is still mostly intact."

Alex Greene glared at the professor, her emerald eyes trying to burn a hole through him as she tugged her own cloak tighter against her in an attempt to fight off the chill in the air. "I'm sorry if we're not as calm as you are about being on a continent that every story says is a place of death! I'm not even sure why _you're_ so calm about this."

Bisman let out a sigh before he turned back around, continuing down the street. "I wonder that myself sometimes…" He glanced around, noticing the gothic design of the buildings and the vaguely familiar appearance of a few. They went around a corner and found a small park in the middle of the next intersection. Sitting in the middle was a massive crystal, two stories tall, held in a metal frame along the edges. The group stepped up to it before Greene spoke up.

"What _is_ this? It's not Dust, is it?" Bisman frowned as he reached forward, gently touching the crystal. He yanked his hand back as a surge of energy went down his arm, the dark crystal suddenly coming to life, releasing a soft red glow as a humming filled the clearing. Bisman felt a headache coming before he almost blacked out.

 _Bisman looked around as he saw the frame sitting empty in front of him. A pair of figures walked up and the one in blue looked up at the frame before placing a small red crystal in the center. The moment it was slotted into place, it started to give off a quiet hum. The blue-cloaked man turned to his companion "And with this, the new era of our civilization begins…" The other man tapped his cane on the ground and pushed his glasses up before he turned around._

" _Hopefully, this one will be brighter than the one that came before it."_

Bisman blinked as he looked around, finding Greene's team still staring at the massive crystal in front of him. "I-I think it is Dust… Just not a kind _we're_ familiar with…" He shook his head before continuing down a random street, causing the rest of the team to look at him in confusion.

"Hey! Where are you going?" one of the members called out before Bisman turned to look at him.

"Toward the city center, I believe!" They watched the man continue on before following behind him. With every step, Bisman tried desperately to shake off the strange feeling that had settled on his shoulders. _"I've seen that cane before… The grip, the handle…"_ He glanced up at the arch above him as he passed under it, three interlocked gears carved into it like a number of other buildings. He knew they were there, Greene had commented on the mark when she noticed it on the city gates. _"I'm not sure what's worse, the thought that I'm going mad, or the possibility that I'm still completely sane…"_

 **A week later, Beacon Academy, RWBY's Dorm Room**

Ruby carefully put Crescent Rose in its place behind her back as the rest of her team got read. "I thought that class would never end…" Blake muttered, causing Ruby to glance up at her.

"Alright everyone, today's the day. The investigation begins!" she said with a smile before looking over the group. "So, everyone remember their roles?"

Weiss nodded. "You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Since I _am_ a Schnee, it shouldn't be a problem."

Blake quickly put her hands behind her back. "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning," she said before Ruby nodded, looking at Yang.

"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that usually knows everything going on in Vale. Getting him to talk shouldn't be _too_ hard," the blonde said with a grin. _"Of course, if he decides to make it difficult I get to have some fun, so it's a win-win regardless."_

Ruby nodded. "Okay, we'll meet up tonight with Yang and go over what we've found. Let's get started!"

"Yeah!" called Sun from outside the window, causing the members of team RWBY to jump back before they glared at him. "What? I thought we were going after that Torchwick guy. Don't you want help?"

" _We_ are going to investigate the situation… As a team," Blake said before Ruby sighed.

"Normally I'd agree that we need to involve as few people as possible, but it might be a good idea if you and Yang had some backup, Blake," Ruby commented before Blake let out a groan and Sun hopped in the window, pulling Neptune off the ledge in the process. "Why were you standing out there Neptune?"

"No reason. Just thought I'd lend a hand," the blue-haired boy said with a smile, winking at Weiss.

"Okay, so I think Sun should go with Blake while Neptune can go with Yang. Weiss, the two of us will stick together like we planned."

"A-actually Ruby, maybe you should go with Yang while I go with Neptune, she is your sister after all…" _"It'd help to spend time with someone other than her and Neptune looks like he'd be someone I could at least enjoy having as company…"_

Ruby blinked before sighing. "I can't go with Yang, Weiss. If we get into a fight she's going to have to either avoid using Dragon's Fury or I have to stay far away from her. Right now, it's not a good idea."

"Well, what about-"

"Going with Blake is out of the question too. The fact is, even if I leave the Rose crest here like I planned to already, there's always the chance Torchwick will be there or that he's told people to watch out for a wolf faunus with a red cloak. The thing is, he's already had two run-ins with me, so I'm pretty sure he's not willing to risk me messing up his plans a third time. If we want to make sure everyone has someone to back them up in case we get into a fight, I'd have to go with you."

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh. _"There goes that idea…"_ "Alright, fine, I can't find any faults in your logic, Ruby." With that, the faunus girl grabbed her partner and started moving out the door, the other pairs quickly splitting up behind her.

 **Beacon CCT Tower, with Ruby and Weiss**

"Wow, I forgot how big these things were…" Ruby said in amazement.

"You should see the one in Atlas. It _is_ where the Cross-Continental Transmit System was designed after all," Weiss said smugly.

"That's not really important for the task at hand…" Ruby muttered.

"The only reason we're even here is because you like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call from the library."

"Yeah, we could have, but Professor Ozpin said the CCT is regularly checked for listening equipment, so it's the most secure location we could go to actually get the information without having to worry about anyone spying on us." Weiss let out a sigh.

"I hate when you're right…" she muttered and started heading toward the tower, only to bump into Penny.

"Oh, excuse me," the girl said before Ruby looked at her.

"Penny?" Ruby started. The strange girl stuttered for a moment before Ruby continued. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks."

"S-sorry, I think you're confused," Penny said before turning around. "Uh, I've got to go." She quickly started walking away, leaving Weiss and Ruby to stare at each other.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked before Ruby shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but it was weird… Do you mind if I go check and meet back up with you afterwards?" Ruby asked, looking at her partner as she let out a sigh.

"Fine, just don't do anything stupid, okay?" Ruby nodded and walked off leaving Weiss alone. _"Of course she'd do that, make me go with her and then take off…"_

Ruby quickly ran up to the strange girl before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Penny! Where have you been? It's been weeks!"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding…"

"What? Penny, is everything okay? I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me. Those people at the docks, they're up to something and if we don't stop them, something bad could happen. I need you to tell me what happened that night. Please, as a friend?"

Penny let out a sigh before glancing around. "It isn't safe to talk here…" she said before walking off, Ruby following behind her.

 **With Weiss**

Weiss let out a sigh as she stepped into the elevator, trying her best to prepare herself for the call she was about to make. _"They're going to ask questions, I know that much. The problem is, will they just accept what I come up with or will they drag my father into this? If they do that… I'm not going to be able to get any of the documents we need."_ Weiss let out a sigh as she stepped out into the communications room, walking up to the front desk.

A hologram of a woman appeared and smiled at her. "Welcome to the Beacon Cross-Continental Transmit Center. How may I help you?"

"I need to make a call to the Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas," Weiss said as calmly as she could.

"Absolutely. If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through."

"Thank you." Weiss smiled before walking over, taking a seat before a woman appeared on the screen.

"Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh, Ms. Schnee. Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well."

Weiss smiled as best as she could. "No thank you, I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me…" _"hopefully without involving my father, that would be preferable…"_ "I've actually compiled a short list," Weiss finished before placing her Scroll into the receptacle. The woman glanced over something on her end before frowning slightly.

"I… see. If you don't mind me asking, what is this for?"

Weiss shrugged before answering. "Just a school project…" _"Technically I'm not lying, it_ is _something Professor Ozpin wanted us to do, it's just not something that'll show up on our final grade…"_

The woman looked at her nervously. "U-um, there are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."

Weiss tried to smile reassuringly. "It's fine, I'll make sure to delete them as soon as I've read through them."

"R-right…" The woman quickly started transferring them over. "Very well, the data is being transferred to your Scroll… Now."

"Wonderful, that will be all then. Thank you."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?"

Weiss frowned momentarily before she responded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Well then, have a nice day…" The screen went blank as the call was disconnected. Weiss let out a sigh as she got up and walked back to the elevator.

 **With Ruby and Penny**

"What happened that night Penny? You just vanished after the fight, we thought they might have kidnapped you or something while we were distracted," Ruby started, looking at the girl beside her.

"Oh no, nothing like that! I've never been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but… You have to understand, my father loves me very much. He just worries a lot."

Ruby let out a sigh as she nodded. "I know the feeling, Tai's like that with me."

"Who?"

"He's my dad… At least the one I thought was my dad. He helped raise me after my mom died."

"Oh…"

"Why didn't you let us know you were okay?"

"I… Was asked not to talk to you…" Penny said hesitantly.

"Was your father really that upset?" Ruby asked, glancing back at the girl.

"N-not my father…" The pair stopped when they heard a voice from the nearby park. Ruby quickly identified it as Ironwood's as a hologram of him was announcing the deployment of a new model of Atlesian Knight, she rolled her eyes before glancing at Penny, noticing her nervously watching the Atlesian soldiers near the event. The faunus thought back to her previous encounters with the girl before something clicked in her mind.

"Hey, Penny… You wouldn't happen to be from Atlas, would you?" Penny jumped before looking at the red-cloaked girl.

"H-how did you-"

"Well, you seem a bit nervous about the soldiers, Atlas is _always_ pushing the envelope when it comes to robotics…" Ruby stopped to gesture at the hologram of the Atlesian Paladin before continuing. "…and, well, the way you move and talk is a bit mechanical at times, no offense…" Ruby chose to ignore the surprise flash across the other girl's face for the time being. "You're not some advanced model, are you?"

Penny hesitated before looking down. "Y-you're my friend, right? You promise?"

Ruby smiled. "Of course."

Penny sighed. "I-I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an aura… I'm not real." Ruby giggled before patting the android in front of her with a smile.

"You think and feel, you have wants and needs, and you have an aura, which means you have a soul. You're as real as me, even if you were made instead of born."

Penny suddenly leaned forward, looking at Ruby suspiciously. "You're taking this extraordinarily well…"

Ruby smiled sheepishly. "You know about the Draconian Sentinels, Goliaths, and Archons, right?" When Penny nodded, Ruby continued. "I'm a Rose, one of my ancestors had a part in creating them. I know for a fact that they existed, and I know they were probably about the same as you, except not made to look like flesh and blood. You're not like the Atlesian Knights, remember that, okay?" Ruby let out a squeak as the android girl wrapped her in a hug.

"Oh Ruby, you're the best friend anyone could have!"

Ruby managed to fight her way free before she glanced over at the crowd. "So, I guess they don't think you're ready, do they?"

Penny shook her head. "No, but one day it will be my job to save the world… But I still have a lot left to learn."

Ruby pat the girl on the back. "Maybe you should ask your dad if you can interact with people more. Learning how to talk to others and how to act might make it easier for you to stay hidden. But I'm curious, what are you supposed to save the world _from?_ We're in a time of peace, even _if_ things are getting bad right now."

"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said…" Penny cautiously commented, causing Ruby to pause.

"So, he's told you then?" Before Penny could respond, a pair of soldiers ran up to the pair.

"Penny, what are you doing out here?" one of them asked.

"What do you mean? I was just taking a walk and taking in the sights," Penny responded carefully.

The soldiers let out a sigh before looking at each other. "You're staying out of trouble, right? Your father's still upset about the last incident."

"Of course! I wouldn't want to worry him after all, right?"

The two soldiers looked at each other and sighed. "Alright then, we'll see you later then, okay?" Penny gave them a quick salute before they walked off and turned to Ruby nervously.

"Ruby, you promise you won't tell anyone, right?"

Ruby smiled and put a hand on her chest. "I promise as a Rose I won't reveal your secret unless there's a chance keeping it to myself could lead to you getting seriously hurt. You're my friend and I wouldn't want you to get hurt or worse, okay?"

Penny sighed before she nodded. "I suppose that's the best I could hope for, thank you Ruby." Before Ruby could respond her Scroll rang, causing her to look down at it.

"Oh, it's Weiss. I've got to take this call, sorry Penny." Ruby looked at the other girl and smiled meekly. "Mind if I talk to you later?"

"Of course! Have a wonderful day, Ruby!" The faunus girl watched the android walk off with a sigh before answering her Scroll.

"Hey Weiss."

"Ruby, I'm done over here, were we going to meet up with Yang?" Ruby blinked.

"Oh, right, sorry! I'll meet up with you on the way there! Bye!" She quickly hung up and broke into a sprint. _"Well, it's not something related to Torchwick, but at least I feel better about not trusting the general…"_

 **White Fang Meeting, with Blake and Sun**

Blake looked up at the stage, listening quietly as the faunus on stage started speaking. "Thank you all for coming. For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours. I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for, for so long." Blake sighed as the crowd started shouting insults up at the stage, watching as Torchwick stepped forward. Her gaze quickly went toward the shadows where a girl with pink, brown, and white hair holding an umbrella stood silently, watching the crowd.

"Thank you, once again, for your… _warm_ welcome," he said calmly.

"What's a human doing here?" shouted a deer faunus from the crowd. Roman glanced at her.

"I'm glad you asked, miss. Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans are the _worst_." He gestured to himself. "After all, I'm not a saint, am I? I'm not even the worst out there when you have people like, say, Jacques Schnee, who exploit the poor and desperate for their own _personal_ gain!" The crowd died down at that remark. "So, I can understand why you would want to see us locked away, or killed… Though I'd rather not be a victim of the latter, if you'd be willing to remember who helped you when the time comes…"

Sun looked at Blake and muttered something under his breath. "Does he have a point to all this or…"

" _But,_ before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I _all_ have a common enemy. The ones in control, the ones pulling the strings behind the curtains in every kingdom on the face of Remnant, the ones that _swim_ in Jacques Schnee's pocket. Government, military, even the schools. Their greed and decadence are all to blame for your lot in life!" Roman smiled as the crowd cheered. He wouldn't admit it, but he actually found the White Fang more agreeable to work with than human thugs. The White Fang didn't walk away when the money ran out or things went south, after all. "And they're all pests that need to be dealt with. Which is where I come in!" He snapped his fingers and the White Fang banner was pulled away, revealing an Atlesian Paladin as the crowd cheered.

Blake and Sun looked at each other nervously as Torchwick continued. "As some of you may have heard, this monstrosity is Atlas' newest line of defense against all the scary things in the world… And thanks to my… employer… We've managed to snag a few before they see official deployment! Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the south east. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine. But, if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you." The crowd started cheering as the new recruits started moving toward the stage. Torchwick was getting ready to light a cigar when he saw Blake and Sun, causing him to quickly put it back in his pocket.

The two looked at each other before Blake pulled her gun out and shot the circuit box on the wall, knocking the lights out. While they scrambled for an exit, they heard the Paladin power up before it smashed through the wall behind them. Blake quickly grabbed her scroll and called the rest of her team.

 **A short time later**

Weiss let out a sigh as the Paladin charged at her, her breath coming out as steam in the frigid air as the ground around her froze solid. She watched the behemoth slip and fall off the overpass before jumping down next to Ruby and the rest of her team. Ruby's eyes moved around the machine quickly, trying to find any possible weakness before she glanced to the side. "Ready?" She got a nod and quickly jumped back before she shouted out to Weiss and Yang. "Freezerburn!" As soon as the cloaked girl was clear, Yang jumped into the air while Weiss coated the ground in ice, jumping clear before the blonde's flame-coated fist struck the ground, covering the area in a thick fog.

Torchwick let out a grunt as he switched over to motion sensors, desperately trying to shoot the girls as they moved through the smokescreen. "Can't they give me a break just this once?"

"Checkmate!" Ruby called out as Weiss and Blake surged forward, Blake making an attempt to cut the hydraulics as Weiss jumped up and stabbed into one of the sensors, quickly using a Glyph to pull Blake out of the area before Torchwick could fire a rocket barrage at them. Weiss made another Glyph to strengthen Blake's aura as the cat faunus quickly sliced through the missles.

"Ladybug!" Ruby called out before charging forward with Blake, making a few attempts to cut through the armor on the legs before she gave up and made a slash at the arms with Crescent Rose, quickly removing the guns. Ruby jumped back as she saw Yang drop down, getting clear before the blonde started pounding away at the Paladin with flaming fists, slowly melting the armor. Torchwick quickly rammed the Paladin into a pillar to knock Yang loose before the arms transformed, punching the blonde as she fell to the ground.

Blake paled as she watched her partner slam into the pavement. "Yang!"

Ruby glanced over at the cat faunus with a frown. "Bumblebee!"

Blake nodded before throwing her weapon over to Yang as the girl got up, quickly pulling on the ribbon to let the blonde build up momentum for a strike before the mech jumped out of the way. Ruby let out a frustrated sigh before she looked over at Weiss. "So, White Rose then?" Weiss nodded as Ruby took a breath, quickly dissolving into rose petals and swarming around the Paladin. Weiss focused on the petals, coating each one in a layer of ice before they shot forward, slicing through the Paladin's armor and removing the limbs, forcing Torchwick to jump out before Ruby reformed, a bit of frost still on her cloak and clothes.

"Oh, come on…" Roman groaned out as he saw Yang launch a fireball his way. Before it could hit, the girl from the White Fang meeting dropped down, using her umbrella to block the shot. Torchwick let out a relieved sigh as he ruffled the girl's hair. "Ladies, Ice Queen…" Weiss glared at the man before he continued. "Always a _pleasure,_ " he stated sarcastically before looking at the girl in front of him. "Neo, if you would…" The girl bowed, a smug smile on her face as Yang charged forward, fist pulled back. Just as Yang's fist connected, the pair shattered, causing her to blink in confusion before she saw a bullhead take off.

The rest of the team ran up before Blake spoke up. "Looks like he got a new henchman."

"Yeah…" Weiss looked over at the rest of the group. "I guess she really made our plans… Fall apart?" She tried to hide her grin when she heard Ruby snicker while Yang groaned.

"Weiss, that was terrible." Yang said, frowning.

"What? But you do it all the time!"

"There's a time and a place for jokes…"

Ruby smiled at her sister. "Aw, are you just mad you didn't think of it first Yang?" She glanced over at Weiss, noticing the heiress trying to hide her shivering. Ruby wouldn't lie and say their attack left her cold too. "C'mon Weiss, let's head back to the dorm room and get something warm in us." Weiss nodded and the group started heading back to Beacon.

 **Vale Expedition Ship**

Bisman let out a sigh as he looked over some maps they'd found in Point Refuge. Much to his surprise, it turned out that there _was_ a small strip of beach where he thought during the trip over to Draconys. He wasn't sure if he was happy or concerned about that any more. _"The entire time we were there it seemed like everything was_ wrong _. Not in the normal "abandoned ruins full of corpses" way either, it just feels like… The air should be warmer, the trees should be healthier, the grass should be greener. I'm not sure why, but…"_ He took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair, trying not to think about the fact that Greene accused him of dying it during their time in the ruins before looking at the Dust crystal on the table. _"No… I think I know what's going on. I just need to check a hunch before we get to the city of Sanctuary."_ While the rest of the expedition was wondering why there weren't references to Dust mines in a civilization that used it for everything, Bisman's interest was elsewhere.

As he sat down, he looked over the map again, reading through the last recorded mission in Point Refuge's archives. _"They were moving into the Dragon's Talons, but considering how quickly they got back…"_ He quickly marked a spot on the map. _"I need to look here."_ He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He hadn't told anyone else yet. He couldn't, not without there being a chance they decided to drag him back to Vale to lock him away. _"If it's not there, I really am going mad… If it is…"_ To Arthur Bisman, it didn't matter anymore. The pull he'd felt his entire life was driving him into the heart of Jormungand's Plain. No matter what, he couldn't resist it any longer.

 **This is the longest chapter I've written yet, I'm not sure if I should be guilty but it seems you guys like the long chapters. Before I end it, Weiss and Ruby have two attacks they can do together. One is Ice Flower from canon where Weiss infuses Ruby's sniper shots with Frost Dust, while White Rose is them combining their semblances to turn the ordinarily (somewhat) harmless petals of the Rose Storm into a deadly blizzard of razors.**

 **After that, we have what the expedition is doing: we now have a third type of Dust littering the cities of Draconys and something very strange is happening with Bisman's mind. He could be going insane, who knows… Well, some people may have already figured it out, so I guess at this point a lot of you already know what's going on.**

 **Either way, you know the drill. Leave a review if you have input or have questions.**


	19. Chapter 19: Comradery and Rememberance

**We're getting to one of the chapters I've been waiting for since I started writing this. I'm not sure what anyone will think of it though. There's going to be two questions at the bottom of this chapter. If you have time, please leave a review to answer them.**

 **To the random guest reviewer from Chapter 17. I don't know** _ **how**_ **you could figure out what I had planned when you claim you don't know what's going on, but I wanted to commend you for it.**

 **Chapter 19: Comradery and Rememberance**

 _"Shock, for the barrier. Burn and Frost, for defenses and climate. Wind, to make it livable. Gravity, to make it unassailable. It is through this design, my greatest triumph, that man and faunus-kind will never again fear the Grimm that hunt us. It is through this design that a new age, an arcane miracle, and the legacy of the Rose Family, will be born." -Aurelius, on the final stages of the Bastion Project_

 **Somewhere in the Jormungand Plains, Draconys**

Greene let out a growl as she stomped behind the professor. Over the last few days, Bisman had become increasingly quiet and distant, a far cry from the vocal, mischievous man Ozpin's briefing had led her to expect. Even worse, the objective of the expedition after Point Refuge was supposed to be finding and exploring the city of Sanctuary, but the man in front of her insisted on walking off into the wilderness in the opposite direction almost immediately after landing, forcing her to send her team on ahead to Sanctuary when they refused to follow the eccentric professor… Which was why she was following him, watching as he casually stepped through the lifeless expanse with his rifle in hand. She wouldn't admit it, but the blood-red sky and jagged terrain unnerved her. Her grip tightened on her mace, unintentionally causing the head to open up and reveal the barrel of the shotgun making up the handle.

"Bisman, I swear, if we haven't turned around in the next five minutes, we're turning around even if I have to knock you out and drag you back!" She stopped in her tracks as the man glanced back at her, a grim expression on his face before he turned around, muttering almost too quietly for the fox faunus to hear.

"It won't be too long… It should be just up ahead," he said, his voice holding none of the confusion from the last ten days nor the excitement from before their departure.

"And what, exactly, is "it" supposed to be?" Greene asked waving her hands around. She let out a frustrated sigh when she didn't get a response, moving forward to make good on her promise. She stopped when she got a look at the area around the unnatural cliff they were following. Up ahead was an area of sand surrounded by a ring of petrified trees, pressed flat against the ground. As the duo stepped into the clearing, Greene noticed a series of weapons scattered around. A few bows, some swords, a handful of pikes, and a halberd were among the discarded instruments of death. "W-what happened here?"

Bisman let out a sigh as he glanced around, a vision already starting to appear. He'd long given up trying to control them, he hadn't been able to use his semblance since they first passed into the Leviathan's Gulf. "On the last day of Sanctuary's existence, Aurelius, the Blue Rose, left with a group of family members to put an end to the bloody civil war they were having. Just a few hours outside Sanctuary, he forced those following with him to turn back while he went on alone. It was here that Aurelius fought the last group of traitors alone before he sacrificed himself to put an end to them." Greene glanced at him, surprised by the tone of acceptance in his voice as he glanced around. He looked over and saw a figure in white with rabbit ears holding a scimitar. _"Lori… She was always a sweet girl, it's just a shame that her passion for dancing was used to kill."_ He glanced around, seeing other figures, not even bothering to think about how he knew who they were, fully aware they weren't there as he stepped forward, eyes on the ground.

Green let out an exasperated sigh. "How does that help us? So, he died here, look around. Anything we could have used is either destroyed or long gone. We have no reason to be here!"

Bisman nodded as he glanced around. "To you it might seem like that, but to me…" He noticed a small gem sitting on the ground next to a rusted sword and bent down to grab the sword. A sigh escaped him as he looked over the blade, brushing a bit of rust off so he could read the inscription on the blade. _"Vigilant in peace, I will light the way through the darkness."_ He watched the gem shift colors slightly before he grabbed it, closing his eyes as a brief vision flashed through his mind.

 _He was on the ground, surrounded. He growled slightly as he assessed the damage. His spine was probably severed. He wouldn't be walking out of this. He looked up at the woman in front of him, smiling smugly as she glared hatefully down at him with her red and black eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke up. "Thus… Kindly, I scatter." There was a surge of pain and then blackness._

Bisman sighed as he stared down at the gem, a soft smile on his face. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he was finally whole again. He felt a shiver go through him as he cautiously tried to awaken his semblance while the gem in his hand started glowing. He smiled as he felt a light wind blow across the scorched field before he slotted the gem into the base of the sword as he stood up.

"There's nothing here that could help us! The dead don't come back to life, Bisman!" Greene shouted behind him, causing him to turn around. She froze when her green eyes met silver instead of blue for a moment.

"Perhaps you should tell that to our friend when we return, I'm sure he'd like to know you feel that way." The man before her reached out with his mind and the Dust crystal in the sword's pommel released a small pulse of energy. With a quick twirl, the rifle disintegrated and the sword turned into a staff before he walked past her. "We should leave. We have what we came for and we should meet up with the rest of the team before we run into any Grimm. I won't be able to provide direct assistance in a fight in my current state." Greene watched he walk away before following.

Greene looked at the man in front of her. She had wandered into the wasteland following Arthur Bisman, but she knew the man in front of her wasn't quite the same. "W-who are you?"

The man glanced back one last time. "Aurelius. And unlike my apprentice, I will not wilt."

 **Beacon Academy, Combat Arena**

Ruby glanced at Weiss over the camera after Cardin hit the ground. "Is it wrong that I like seeing that smug look knocked off his face?" she asked with a grin before Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Normally I'd say yes… But even after Jaune saved him he's been insufferable about his perceived superiority over everyone else." Ruby nodded before checking the camera. While she didn't have a way to prove it, she had chosen to voice her concerns to Ozpin about the possibility that the person who attacked Amber and was pulling Torchwick's strings was participating in the tournament. Ozpin, surprisingly, offered a quick solution by assigning Ruby and Weiss to film any sparring matches that occurred in the time leading up to the tournament. Since they needed some fight scenes for the televised introduction to the tournament's first day and advertisements leading up to it, the arrangement gave team RWBY an excuse to not only watch but record fights involving students from other schools.

"Well done Ms. Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament," Glynda said calmly, stepping over the unconscious Cardin.

Pyrrha smiled. "Thank you, professor."

Glynda glanced down at the pad she carried, tapping a few spots on the screen. "Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers?" She glanced around the stands to see Blake glancing through a notebook. "Ms. Belladonna? You've been rather… docile for the last few classes. Why don't you-"

Mercury raised his hand. "I'll do it."

Glynda looked at the boy before nodding. "Very well. Let's find you an opponent."

"Actually, I wanna fight… Her," the boy said, pointing at Pyrrha, causing her to blink in surprise.

"I'm afraid Ms. Nikos has just finished a match, I'd recommend you choose another partner," Professor Goodwitch said before Pyrrha spoke up.

"No! It's fine. I'd be happy to oblige," Pyrrha said. As Mercury stepped into the arena, Emerald and Weiss both noticed Ruby's ear twitch slightly. While Emerald didn't pay it much thought, Weiss had noticed over the last few weeks that it usually either meant the girl was surprised, annoyed, or activating her secondary semblance.

" _Considering how focused she is, it looks like she doesn't want to miss anything, so I'm guessing it's her semblance,"_ Weiss thought as she checked the camera, making sure it was still recording. Mercury charged forward, driving a kick into Pyrrha's shield, causing Ruby to frown at the sound of metal hitting metal.

" _Even if his boots are armored, it shouldn't sound like that…"_ Ruby continued to watch before briefly glancing back at Emerald. "He's not that bad I guess…"

Ruby looked back to see Pyrrha use her semblance to subtly push Mercury's boot away from her, making Ruby go wide-eyed as the boy was knocked over. _"There's no way Pyrrha could put that much momentum into a metal boot to throw him off balance that much…"_

Pyrrha charged the boy as soon as he got up, but stopped when he turned to face Goodwitch. "I forfeit," he said, causing Pyrrha to look at him in confusion.

"Y-you don't even want to try?" Pyrrha asked, looking a bit dejected.

Mercury shrugged. "What's the point? You're a world-renowned fighter, we're obviously leagues apart."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. _"It didn't look like it to me…"_ As soon as she saw the smirk on Mercury's face, she blinked.

"In that case, Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of this match, again. Next time you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent." Mercury nodded before walking off as the bell rang, waking Blake up suddenly. "That's all for today. And remember the dance is this weekend but you all have your first missions on Monday! I will not accept any excuses!"

As everyone else walked out, Ruby and Weiss started packing up the camera with Yang's help while Blake started dozing off again. Once everyone was out of the room, Ruby spoke up. "He was testing Pyrrha to see what she could do." Weiss and Yang glanced at each other before Weiss spoke up.

"Okay, and did you learn anything from it?" Blake looked at them in confusion.

"Yeah, I think at least part of his legs, at least his left leg, was replaced with a prosthetic. Either that, or he has a lot of metal in his leg for Pyrrha to have knocked him off his feet with just her semblance." The other two nodded before Ruby grabbed the case, heading out of the building.

As they got outside, Sun ran up to Blake. "Hey Blake! You uh, you doing okay?"

Blake sighed before turning to face him. "I'm fine."

"So… I hear there's this dance going on this weekend… Sounds pretty lame, but, you and me I'm thinking aren't as lame, right?"

She blinked at him in confusion. "W-what?"

"The dance, this weekend! You wanna go or what?"

Blake growled before turning around. "I don't have time for a stupid dance! I thought you of all people would get that."

The rest of team RWBY watched as Ruby let out a frustrated sigh. The trio shared a look before heading after Blake.

 **RWBY's Dorm Room**

Blake ran a hand down her face. "You can't be serious! Why would you want me to go to the dance?!"

Yang sighed. "Blake, we're worried about you. This whole thing is starting to mess with your head."

Weiss spoke up. "You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering."

"Do you think I care about grades?" Blake yelled. "People's lives are at stake!"

Yang put a hand on her partner's shoulder. "We know, and we're still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to."

Ruby spoke up, playing with a Dust crystal as she thought. "Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere out of Southeast Vale. Last I heard, Ozpin had it narrowed down to a few locations, but he can't assign anyone to search until after the dance or it might raise suspicions."

Weiss nodded before continuing. "The Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months."

Yang let out a sigh. "Don't forget about their missing military tech, too."

"But there are still unanswered questions!"

Ruby sighed. "Blake, there's _always_ unanswered questions. All that matters is we have the right answers to the questions that matter and that we're in the condition to _act_ on that information. You're barely able to stay awake as it is, what happens if we get into a fight and you pass out? One of us is going to have to either stay back to keep you safe or carry you along, meaning either we're down two people or one of us becomes an easy target since we can't fight back."

Yang continued. "All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day."

Weiss smiled. "It'll be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it!"

"Yeah, we're planning the whole event!"

Blake looked at them in dismay. "Excuse me?!"

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected," Weiss started. Yang nodded.

"So Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off! Now we can make sure you have the perfect night."

"And once it's all over, we'll return to our search, rested and ready."

Ruby nodded before looking at Blake. "So, what do you think?"

Blake let out a frustrated sigh before she got up. "I think this is a colossal waste of time… I'll be in the library." The trio let out a frustrated sigh as the door closed.

"Don't worry guys, I'll figure out a way to get her to come to the dance, I promise," Yang said.

 **On the roof, with Jaune and Pyrrha**

Jaune let out a groan as he stood up after a practice spar with Pyrrha. The redhead looked at him with a smile. "Well done. Your sword play's improved immensely."

Jaune quickly dusted himself off with a sigh. "I couldn't have done it without you, Pyrrha," he said with a smile, causing the girl to look away.

"So, are you ready to move on to Aura?" Jaune hesitated and sighed.

"I'm actually thinking maybe we just skip Aura tonight."

Pyrrha let out a sigh before putting a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Come on, I know you get frustrated but you have to keep trying. I'm sure we'll discover your semblance any day now."

Jaune let out a sigh before he looked at his partner. "I-it's not that, it's just… Shouldn't you be getting ready for the dance? I mean, you probably have tons of guys asking you out."

Pyrrha chuckled nervously. "You'd be surprised." The boy glanced at her.

"W-well, if nobody else asks you to the dance, why not go with me?" Pyrrha looked at him with wide eyes. "I-I mean, if you're willing to go with someone like me. I wouldn't want to embarrass you or anything!"

Pyrrha smiled and put a hand on his shoulder before he could continue ranting. "Jaune, it's fine. I'd be happy to go to the dance with you." She took a step back. "Now then, let's start on your Aura training." Jaune nodded as the two went back to practicing.

 **Sanctuary Ruins, Draconys**

Greene let out a sigh as she followed Aurelius through the streets. Normally, the sight of the massive buildings buttressed against the walls and each other would leave people in awe, but right now she had a headache. "I don't understand any of that."

The man in front of her let out a sigh, his blue cloak moving on its own as they continued down the street. "When I died, I shattered my soul and the various shards drifted throughout Remnant until a number had once again found each other and reformed. At that point, enough of my soul would have reformed for it to attempt to bind itself to a physical form. The collection of shards would bind to the first male child born without a life or soul of its own, a stillborn if you wish, and would attempt to find any shards it could before passing and repeating the process with the first valid host to appear after one of my "deaths." When I was born as Arthur Bisman, all that was left was a single shard of my soul here in Draconys." He gently tapped the Dust crystal sitting in the top of the staff. "Which resulted in me being constantly drawn towards it. Until every shard was reunited, I couldn't remember any of what happened in my previous lives, but now…" He let out a sigh.

"Now you know what we came here to find out, so we can head back, right?" Bisman glanced over his shoulder before responding.

"Not quite, there's a few things that need to be taken care of here first."

Greene let out a sigh as her ear twitched. "So, are you going to tell me why you're calling a Dust crystal part of your soul?"

The Rose smiled before glancing at her. "Perhaps, in due time…"

 **I'm going to stop here for today. For some reason this one just feels like it took longer to write, probably because it was one I was looking forward to doing and wanted to get just right. The questions I had were: Do you think I should change which members of Team RWBY go on to the second and third rounds of the tournament with the events of this chapter? If so, who do you think should move on instead? The only rule to this is, because of a lore point that will be revealed later, Ruby and Yang can't both move on to the second round. Also, keep in mind that Ruby has total immunity to Emerald's semblance and Weiss has a technical immunity in that it disrupts her Glyphs enough for her to notice something's wrong.**

 **So, Aurelius is back in the world of the living. Let's give him a bit of a rundown. Naturally, it's been established that Aurelius was a major powerhouse when it came to Sanctuary on top of being the founder of the Rose family. His incredibly long life (approximately 630 years counting the time before the Founding of Point Refuge or Sanctuary) leaves him with a complex moral compass. Like many members of the Rose family, he values trust and loyalty highly and has a strong respect for anyone with the courage to publicly stand up for their values, even if he personally disagrees with the stance. This means that while he doesn't like people like Torchwick, he can at least respect him for standing by his ideals of self-preservation. Like most members of the Rose family, he's perfectly willing to put himself in harm's way so long as he doesn't believe his death will lead to more casualties than sitting idle. As a result of him playing a part in many of the advances made by the people of Sanctuary, he favors quality over quantity and made sure to pass this preference, along with his ideals, onto the rest of his family. This, along with his preference for more elegant and graceful solutions, will put him at odds with General Ironwood, who in this story will either be incompetent, a glory hound determing to increase the prestige of the Atlesian military at any cost, or a traitor to Ozpin's group since I haven't decided yet.**

 **The most important of his values will also put him at odds with Jacuqes Schnee: while Jacques values wealth and family reputation over the wellbeing of individual members, Aurelius is more concerned about the survival of the Rose family and its individual members than anything else. With only** _ **one**_ **other Rose left alive, with the possibility of two others being revived using Avatars, this makes Aurelius a dangerous threat since the Rose family's extinction means Salem can proceed unopposed. Later events will eventually leave very few people that hate Jacques more than Aurelius.**

 **Aurelius naturally has the Rose Storm as a family semblance, which he can use to deadly effect. His secondary semblance, however, is far more complex and tied into the origin of Dust itself. His secondary is called "Will Made Manifest" and, as the name implies, gives him the ability to turn his will and mind into a tangible force, allowing him to do things like bolster his own endurance, calm or lessen the pain of others, or give him instinctual control over Dust. While this might make him sound exceedingly strong, there's one thing to remember. He's still dealing with** _ **Bisman's**_ **body until he completes whatever changes he's making to it, which means for the next few months or even year he's dealing with Bisman's weak combat presence. Rose Storm** _ **could**_ **help him make up for his current physical flaws, but doing so risks literally tearing his body apart due to the fact Bisman's body wasn't meant to handle it. The result is that he'll have very little physical combat presence except when he decides to be tactical about it by focusing his secondary to reduce the strain on his body. Most of the support he'll be able to provide in the near future will be a result of his mastery of Dust: the creation of automatons and a** _ **very**_ **special surprise that will be revealed in the next few chapters. Anyone who can guess exactly** _ **what**_ **the Bastion is will get a shout out.**


	20. Chapter 20: Heartache, Dust, and Rebirth

**Now we're getting into the fun parts of the story I think. There's going to be another question at the bottom though.**

 **Cptnsaveahoe916- Close, but not quite. Amity Colosseum (which is what I assume you're referring to when you talk about Vytal) was conceived of more than 1900 years after the fall of Sanctuary using modern technology. The Bastion is purely arcane, much more complex and, most importantly,** _ **much**_ **bigger than Amity Colosseum.**

 **Bookah- Yes, Ozpin's going to be having a fun time when Aurelius returns, mostly trying to keep the sage from murdering a certain general. As it stands, he won't have much of a direct personal impact on the Battle of Beacon except in one specific spot. Also, I remembered one of your earlier reviews and I think you might like Aurelius' part of this chapter.**

 **Before I begin this chapter, I'd like to say there's going to be a few things guaranteed to disrupt my goal of a daily upload schedule. Monday next week I'll be losing quite a bit of down time to an appointment, so I most likely won't be able to get a chapter out that day. After that, Mondays and some Thursdays are probably going to result in either a shorter chapter or none at all since someone convinced me to try a RWBY tabletop game. Lastly, and least related to the story at all, a DLC is being released for one of my favorite games on the 21st, so I may or may not miss a day due to that. Also, once we reach the end of volume 4's events, I'll have to slow down while I try to figure out what I want to happen. Weekly or monthly updates are likely after that, with the chance of there being two updates in a week being possible.**

 **Now then, let's start with the chapter.**

 **Chapter 20: Heartache, Dust, and Rebirth**

 **Beacon Academy Ballroom**

Ruby let out a sigh as she watched Yang and Weiss argue. "Weiss! I though we agreed, no doilies!" Honestly, Ruby couldn't care less about the dance, but she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Weiss glared at the blonde before speaking up, the temperature of the room bouncing randomly as their tempers fueled their semblances unconsciously. "If _I_ don't get doilies, _you_ don't get fog machines!" Their argument was cut short by the sound of the door closing as Neptune and Sun stepped through.

"Your dance is going to have fog machines?" Neptune said with a smile, causing Weiss to perk up as the room's temperature returned to normal.

"We were thinking about it," she said, holding her hands in front of her while Ruby let out a frustrated sigh.

"That's pretty cool," Neptune said before Sun stepped up.

"You ladies all excited for dress up?"

Ruby scoffed before Yang responded. "Laugh all you want pup, I'll be turning heads tomorrow night!"

Weiss glanced back at the two boys before speaking up. "What are you two wearing?"

"Uh, this…" Sun said, gesturing down at his current outfit as Neptune stepped in front of him.

"Forgive him, for he knows not what heresy he speaks." Sun quickly pushed Neptune away.

"Hey, I might have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we've noticed…" Ruby's ears perked up at this before she glanced at Neptune.

"Do you know everyone who came here from Mistral?" The blue-haired boy blinked at this.

"I mean, I'd like to think I know all the cool people, but there's still a few here I haven't met. It's a big school, there's no way I could know everyone." Ruby let out a frustrated sigh at this. "Sorry."

Ruby nodded. "It's okay, I was just curious."

Sun glanced around. "So, uh… What does Blake think about all this? She still being all, ya know… Blake-y?"

Weiss crossed her arms and sighed. "Obviously." Ruby leaned against her arm as she spoke up.

"I still can't think of a way to change her mind…"

"Guys…" Yang started with a grin. "Trust me, Blake _will_ be at the dance tomorrow." The rest of the room's occupants watched as the blonde walked out, intent on hunting down her partner.

 **With Yang and Blake**

Blake let out a frustrated sigh as her blonde partner dragged her into a random classroom. "Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you might as well save your breath."

The blonde let out a sigh before she spoke up. "I don't want you to stop. I want you to slow down."

Blake turned to glare at her partner. "We don't have the luxury to slow down!"

"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity."

"The _necessity_ is stopping Torchwick!"

"And we're going to. But first I just want you to listen to what I have to say."

Blake sighed before answering. "Fine…"

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, it's an island just off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen… Our dads taught at Signal, and Ruby's mom, Summer would take on missions and try to organize with the few remaining Roses left to try and help the kingdoms as best she could. She was, like, super-mom. Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. Even though I wasn't her daughter she still treated me like one… And then, one day, she was meeting up with two other members of the Rose family to speak to the Vale Council when this guy attacked them in the middle of the street outside the government building. A Rose Hunt, right in the heart of Vale… And he killed all three of them, he made it look so _easy_ too." Yang took a deep breath as her eyes turned red.

"It was tough on Ruby… It was tough on all of us. My dad, Taiyang took it pretty hard since Summer was like a sister to him, I guess, but it wasn't the first time he lost someone he cared about." Yang glanced up, her eyes back to their normal lilac color. "He fell in love with the other girl on his team, Qrow's twin sister, and they really got along for a while, at least until I was born… Then my mom just left my dad to take care of me on his own. It wasn't until after he shut down that I actually got upset that my mom abandoned me I guess. It was always so much easier to pretend I was a twist of fate, that I was a human born to a faunus mother, than it was to sit and wonder why my real mom abandoned me."

Yang leaned against the wall for a moment. "I didn't know the answer, but when Summer was alive, I didn't think I needed one. But once she died… It wasn't so easy to ignore the truth or how much it hurt when dad completely shut down, Ruby kept asking why Summer wasn't coming back, and Uncle Qrow started drinking away his misery. I tried so hard to find the answer… It was all I thought about for a while. One day I found something that I thought might lead me to answers or even my mom if I was lucky…" Yang let out a sigh and Blake looked down sadly. "When my dad left that day, I put Ruby in a wagon and just started walking off into the wilderness. It felt like I walked for hours, but I didn't care."

"By the time I got to this old cabin I was exhausted, but I wasn't going to let anything stop me, not when I was so close… But then the Grimm came out of the woods and there wasn't anything I could do. If Uncle Qrow hadn't been following us…" Yang stopped and looked away.

Blake sighed. "Yang, I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different! I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers, I can't just-"

"I told you, I'm not asking you to stop! I haven't stopped looking for answers either. I still want to know what happened to my mom and why she left me, but I'm not going to let it control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for Blake, but if we destroy ourselves in the process, then what good are we?"

"You don't understand! I'm the only one that can do this!"

Yang turned around, eyes red as the temperature spiked. "No, _you_ don't understand! If Roman Torchwick walked through that door right now, do you honestly think you could stop him in your state? What if he's working for someone like the guy that killed Summer? Someone that could _murder_ three Roses just as easily as Ruby could kill a pack of Beowolfs? You couldn't even stop me right now, you wouldn't be able to stop Torchwick, you can't fight Ruby, and there's no way you can fight whoever Torchwick's working for!" Yang took a deep breath and wrapped Blake in a hug. "I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest… Not just for you, but for the people that care about you and the people you care about…" Yang let go before she started to walk away. "And if you feel like coming out tomorrow… I'll save you a dance." Yang smiled and winked at the cat faunus before walking out of the room.

 **Sanctuary Ruins, the Rose Garden**

Greene shivered as she glanced across the field. Like everything on Draconys, the shriveled and dead plants made the place feel even more ominous than normal. The fact that each of the dead rose bushes was planted on top of a grave made things worse. She glanced back at Aurelius, watching him carefully carve lines of Dust into pieces of metal, using Dust to shape each piece into a segment of armor as he did so. "How can Dust even do any of this?" The sage sighed as he continued his work.

"There's more to Dust than you know. On top of the elemental attribute of Dust, every piece falls into one of three broad categories: Essentia, Materia, and Animus. "Essentia" is the type of Dust most people think of when they're talking about Dust and was the first type discovered. "Materia" is the type most think of when talking about Dust used by Sanctuary since it was used to make the Dust lattices that everything from Sanctuary uses to function. "Animus" is the rarest and most complex of the three due to its origins." Greene blinked.

"Okay, and are you willing to explain?" Aurelius sighed.

"If it'll get me an hour of peace and quiet to finish this Dust matrix, then fine. I'm sure you noticed that, in all the meticulous records found both in Point Refuge and here in the city of Sanctuary, there were no mentions of Dust mines." The fox faunus nodded hesitantly before Aurelius stood up, walking down the rows and gesturing for her to follow. "The simple reason is, Dust, even Essentia Dust, isn't just some rock you dig out of the ground. It's far more complex and _far_ more serious than that." He glanced back to see if the woman was listening before he continued. "The first form of Dust, Essentia, gets its name from its original source. Back before Point Refuge was even a village, I had a childhood friend that did everything with me. We played, we ate, we even stood on watch against the Grimm together. One day, the poor boy was attacked by a Beowolf." Aurelius glanced to the side, eyes glazing over. "I don't remember much of what happened, only that I destroyed the Grimm and went to try and save my friend, only to find him dead… I did something, something I've long ago sworn I would never again teach someone how to replicate, and managed to create the first Dust crystal in existence without intending to." Aurelius stopped before looking at the wide-eyed faunus.

"You see, Dust and the Grimm are polar opposites. While the Grimm feed off negative emotions, Dust is, essentially, what happens when you give the energy of our positive emotions a physical form. Essentia, the most common and basic form of dust, could only be formed by draining the energy released when someone died. I made a grave mistake in sharing this with others, and when the First Triumvirate formed, they slowly fell into a state of decadence. As their reliance on Dust to make their own lives easier grew, they quickly found themselves needing more than they could get form people dying of old age or disease… So they relaxed their vigil. While I would try to reach a village before the Grimm could kill anyone, the sages under the Triumvirate would wait until a few people were killed, then move in and exploit the situation. While I looked for another solution, they stood stagnant, so when I confronted them and they refused to listen, I left… And things almost fell apart because I _lost faith._ While I was living in the wilderness, I met a few people and helped them as best as I could and eventually fell in love, a story for another time."

"It was my daughter and a few of her friends that reminded me that there is still good in the world and encouraged me to continue helping those that needed help, and it was because of them I discovered a better, more ethical method with my semblance." He held up the Dust crystal he had removed from his staff to do the inscriptions. "I created this, the first "Animus" Dust crystal. I'm sure you've noticed how, sometimes, if someone's truly happy it has a way of brightening a room, correct?" Greene nodded before he continued. "Animus works in the most wonderful way: rather than drain energy from someone when they die to create Dust, Animus draws energy from the aura of positive energy people create when they're happy, charging themselves and, if allowed, growing when they can't hold any more energy to increase how much they can hold. Animus crystals do not break apart like Essentia when the energy is depleted, but remain dormant until a source of power comes close enough to charge them. Through this, certain constructs could be made to hold an Animus "seed" crystal, let it grow to a certain point, and then harvest its power to create Essentia or, if need be, Materia, the type used to create the Dust matrices and lattices used to power all Draconian technology. Materia, however, can't grow like Animus can, but it can be charged through a semblance or by Animus if need be."

Greene blinked. "So, you created a way of keeping people safe and happy that's powered by that and makes it easier to keep them safe and happy?" Aurelius nodded.

"In a way. This also serves a second purpose: just as positive emotions repel the Grimm, a sufficiently large and charged Animus crystal can weaken Grimm in the area. Sadly, it seems that when I was forced to sacrifice myself, none of the other sages were willing or able to ensure everything remained functional, and everything quickly decayed."

Greene nodded before continuing hesitantly. "S-so… Where did all the… "Essentia" that we use today come from? You said it wasn't just sitting in the ground when you were alive." Aurelius let out a sigh as he glanced up at the sky.

"My death might have something to do with it… The area we went to looked the way it did because I chose to destroy myself to end the threat that's left all of Draconys this corrupted wasteland, and I suppose the excess energy had to go somewhere. It's entirely possible that, when I died, _my_ soul fueled the conversion of large parts of Remnant being turned into Essentia Dust." He glanced down at the grave in front of him with a sigh, staff quickly turning into a sword before he walked back to his project, assembling the last few pieces into shape.

Greene glanced at his work. "What _is_ this anyways? I know it doesn't look like any of the Sentinels or Goliaths wandering the city."

Aurelius hummed quietly. "An Avatar, the most complex of all Draconian automatons. Most sages are lucky if they can even assemble one, let alone activate it. _If_ I get this to work, I doubt I'd be able to make more than one here."

Greene nodded before Aurelius placed the sword on top of the armor, wrapping the hands around the hilt on its chest. "Why are you doing that exactly?"

Aurelius smiled before he placed his hand on the nearby tombstone. "I'm just returning the sword to its rightful owner… This is the first time anyone's attempted to truly activate one of these."

"W-what do you mean returning it to its owner?"

Aurelius ignored her and instead spoke to the stone. "Adrienne, it's time for you to return. I'll need your help if we're going to succeed against the traitor."

The armor started glowing before it contorted, metal plates becoming flesh and bone covered in a simple black shirt and pants, followed by an orange cloak. The woman took a slow breath before opening her eyes, glancing at the sky before frowning. "Grandpa Auri, what happened?" The sage smiled sadly before he responded.

"Our family's sacrifices were almost in vain. Besides us, there's only one of us left alive, a young wolf faunus. I need your help for what's to come." Adrienne adjusted her grip on the sword, smiling at the familiarity of it before she got up.

"I'd be glad to help out. Sleep is for the weak anyways." The girl said cheerfully before sliding the blade into its sheath and glancing around. "We can't let this get any worse, after all…"

Aurelius nodded before the staff formed from the Dust crystal in his hand as he stood up. "Then there's only one place left to go here in the city of Sanctuary. After that, we just need to make one more trip." The two women behind him nodded before following after him.

"So, I'm Adrienne, who are you exactly?"

The fox faunus glanced at the woman next to her nervously. "A-Alex Greene."

 **Beacon Academy, with Ruby**

Ruby was wandering the school nervously, trying not to think about what she was doing. _"Come on Ruby, you can do this. If not the dance, just ask if she wants to spar, take a walk, or just read or something! Nothing says you have to go to the dance tomorrow night, you could do anything with her!"_

As Ruby turned a corner she saw the girl she was looking for. She smiled brightly as she went to catch up with her, stopping when she saw the girl walk up to a blue-haired boy. "Neptune, I've been looking for you!" Ruby quickly hid behind the corner before she was seen.

The boy glanced at her with a smile "Oh, hey Weiss, what's up?"

The heiress took a deep breath to collect her nerves. _"Come on Weiss, you have to do this. You need to prove to yourself that Ruby's just a good friend, and this is the first step to do that!"_ "I know this is a little… unorthodox, but… I wanted to ask you something." Ruby let out a quiet whimper as her ears drooped a bit. "Would you… Like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?"

Ruby quickly turned and walked away as quietly as she could, ears flat against her head and tail low to the ground, completely heartbroken. _"Why did I think she'd have an interest in me anyways? She has her family image to uphold and probably thinks I'm still annoying with how much I like her music… Maybe I'll just spend tomorrow practicing or check up on that bug I put on Torchwick… If that doesn't work, I could just try some new music, right? Maybe it's better this way…"_

 **And that was probably the hardest ending to a chapter for me to write. I feel bad for poor Ruby, but I had to have this happen for something else in the future.**

 **As you can tell, Dust is meant to be a bit darker in this story because of its origin as well. This was something I'd planned for a while to show** _ **why**_ **Aurelius was so against the First Triumvirate and to show just how vastly different the world's become since his death.**

 **Adrienne is back as well now. For those of you who don't remember her, Adrienne was one of Aurelius' grandchildren and the first Rose to sacrifice herself to save others instead of letting innocents die. It's her dedication to her ideals that led to the Rose family's values of willing self-sacrifice and unyielding defense of those who can't defend themselves. Like most members of the Rose family, her cloak color tells a lot about her. In this case, her cloak is orange, and like most orange Roses, she values energy, passion, and enthusiasm above all else. This means that she hates leaving a task unfinished if she can help it, distrusts anyone who hesitates, and despises people who don't have the courage to publicly stand up for their beliefs or abandon something before it's finished. She was Aurelius' favorite grandchild (and the only person that ever got away with calling him "grandpa Auri") and when she died Aurelius went out to personally retrieve her body, using her sword from that point on to always have part of her close by. If anyone's confused about what the "Primus Lapis" from the prologue was referencing now, it was actually talking about the Dust crystal he carries around. The term is Latin and translates into "The First Stone," a subtle nod to its significance to the lore of this story as the first Dust crystal that Aurelius himself found morally acceptable to use.**

 **Now, for the question. As I'm sure people could guess, Aurelius and Adrienne are both human. Considering Ruby's claim that Aurelius made the faunus to help a family, do you think the two of them should turn into faunus at some point as well to fit in with the fact that every Rose in the last 1500 years would have been a faunus and accept what their family has become or do you think they should stay human due to their history?**


	21. Chapter 21: Companions, Ancient Wonder

**We're back with another chapter, things are moving along nicely I think. There's going to be two questions down at the bottom, one of which will have a more practical impact on the story depending on which way I go with it.**

 **Chapter 21: Companionship and an Ancient Wonder**

 **Beacon Academy, RWBY's Dorm Room**

Yang let out a frustrated sigh as she stared at her cousin, watching the as Ruby simply flipped through her magazine while listening to music. "C'mon Rubes! You have to pick out a dress for tonight!"

Ruby sighed before looking at the blonde with a frown, responding dejectedly. "Yang… I already said I don't feel like going, I just want to be left alone for a while…" Yang groaned before throwing her hands up in the air.

"Ruby, I really don't want you to be alone tonight, okay? I managed to convince Blake to come to the dance, I'm going to have to go to take care of things, and I'm going to need help since Weiss said she was going to ask-" Yang stopped when she saw Ruby flinch before the faunus sunk deeper into her bed. "O-oh god, Rubes, I'm _so_ sorry, I forgot you liked-"

Ruby hopped up and grabbed Crescent Rose before walking to the door. "I'm going to go practice for a bit, I'll be back later… And maybe I'll think about it." As she opened the door she came face to face with Weiss, causing her to glance down quickly and walk out.

Weiss watched in confusion before walking through the door. "What's wrong with Ruby? I've never seen her so depressed before."

Yang sighed. "She decided to try to ask someone to go to the dance with her but ran into them as they were asking someone else out. She's… not taking it very well right now since it was hard enough for her to think of _one_ person she'd want to go with." Weiss took a deep breath as she looked down.

" _Who would do something like that to Ruby? I mean, sure she's a bit eccentric and obsessive, but she's still such a kind, caring girl… I kind of understand how she feels now though…"_ Weiss tried her best to hide the slight pang of jealously at the thought that Ruby had tried to ask someone out, still struggling to come to terms with her own feelings for the faunus, when Yang spoke up.

"Speaking of dates, how'd it go with Neptune?" Yang raised an eyebrow as Weiss' shoulders sagged.

"I-I changed my mind. We have too much to focus on right now for me to worry about boys, right?" Yang narrowed her eyes before laying down on her bed.

"Riiight… Well, now we just have to hope Ruby doesn't decide to train herself into the ground to get her mind off things." Weiss let out a sigh as she glanced out the window.

"It wouldn't really be enjoyable if Ruby wasn't there, would it?" _"At least not for me… M-maybe I really am falling for her?"_

 **Practice Area, with Ruby**

Ruby let out a shout as she cleaved through the holographic Grimm in front of her, her usual elegant and graceful movements replaced by wild, reckless swings. She thought back to her mom's death, the alienation she suffered because of the White Fang's attacks, learning that Qrow couldn't raise her because of something out of his control, and finally having to watch Weiss ask someone else out when she finally worked up the courage to say something to her. _"It's just not fair! Why can't I just have_ one _thing go right for me for once when I want it to?!"_ She let out a frustrated cry as she slammed her scythed into a Beowolf with enough force to embed the blade into the concrete floor before she dropped to her knees, a quiet sob escaping her.

"Ruby? Are you okay?" The faunus girl quickly wiped her eyes before she glanced over to see Pyrrha standing nearby. She tried her best to fake a smile before she responded.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…" Pyrrha let out a sigh before stepping forward, sitting on the ground next to Ruby.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't really look like you're fine right now. Your stance was off and I've never seen you so aggressive with your strikes. And… Well, I've never actually seen you look so hurt." Ruby looked away before Pyrrha continued. "What's wrong?"

The faunus hesitated before she answered. "I-I decided to try to ask someone out to the dance, b-but… Right when I ran into them they were asking someone else to go with them."

Pyrrha let out a quiet gasp before quickly hugging Ruby. It was a known fact among teams RWBY and JNPR that the cloaked girl had a hard time getting close to people and wore her heart on her sleeve when it came to her friends, but she'd never shown any interest in anyone. "Ruby, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that…"

Ruby let out a quiet sob before she continued. "And now Yang's determined that all of us have to go to the dance! I don't want to have to sit there alone watching the one person I care about smile and laugh with someone else! I know it sounds selfish, but I just don't want to be _alone_ anymore!"

Pyrrha smiled sadly as she waited for Ruby to get her frustrations out. "Ruby…" The other girl glanced up at her, tears still running down her cheeks. "Maybe, if you care that much about them, you should try to show them that. If you really love them, whoever they are, you just need to show them that you're still their friend and try to make it clear what they mean to you in small ways. If they're your friend, if they care about you at all, they wouldn't want to see you miserable either, would they?"

Ruby looked down quietly. _"I-I don't think I'd be able to handle watching Weiss have fun with Neptune… But if I let this ruin our friendship, would I be able to live with myself?"_ "M-maybe you're right Pyrrha. I don't think I'll be able to tell them how I feel for a while… But I won't let this get in the way of my friendship. Even if it means I have to watch them be with someone else, it's more important that they're happy." Pyrrha stood up, pulling the faunus girl with her. "Thanks for the advice Pyrrha, I needed to hear that from someone."

Pyrrha smiled and put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You're welcome, Ruby. Just take care of yourself, okay?" Ruby nodded and ran off to get ready for the dance. Even if she was going, she might as well find something she could do while she was there.

 **Beacon Ballroom, later that night**

Yang let out a squeal as Ruby walked through the door in a red dress. "You look beautiful Rubes!" the wolf faunus groaned as she stepped forward.

"I could really do without the heels though, I don't know how Weiss fights in these…"

Yang smiled slightly. "I'm just glad you're here, sis. I was worried about you."

Ruby smiled back. "I'm fine, really. Did you have your dance with Blake?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did, but are you sure you're fine?"

Ruby let out a sigh. "Y-yeah, I mean as long as I don't watch Weiss and Neptune having fun I should be fine, right?" Yang frowned as she glanced at the heiress, who was desperately trying to distract herself with a vase of roses.

"Yeah, about that… I think Neptune shot her down, she's been kind of moping around, saying she changed her mind and she doesn't have time for boys, but it's kinda obvious…"

Ruby looked at the heiress sadly before taking a deep breath. "I'll talk to you later, okay Yang?" The blonde didn't get a chance to respond before Ruby walked off. She smiled at Pyrrha and Jaune as he walked past them, Pyrrha laughing happily as Jaune spun her around.

Weiss let out a sigh as she tried to get the last rose to stand up straight. Deep down, she knew the stem was damaged and she was just wasting her time, but she didn't want to look over at Neptune laughing with Sun and Blake. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. _"Maybe I should have just given Ruby a chance. I mean, I could have just said we were spending time together as partners and teammates, right? But… She was going to ask someone else to come with her to the dance…"_ Weiss' shoulders sagged at the thought of being rejected twice, even if she'd never actually asked Ruby. A hand on her shoulders drew her out of her thoughts. She turned around to find herself face to face with Ruby. While the faunus hesitated, Weiss took a moment to look at her. _"S-she looks amazing… Whoever she was going to ask out should really consider himself lucky that she even had an interest in him…"_ The heiress was again drawn out of her thoughts when Ruby spoke up.

"Weiss…" Ruby took a deep breath. "I heard Neptune turned down your request to be your date." Weiss winced at the reminder and was about to snap at the girl in front of her before she continued on. "I-I know it isn't the same? But would you be willing to dance with me for a bit? Yang danced with Blake, so it wouldn't be right for you to not have a chance to enjoy your hard work." Weiss sputtered for a moment before Ruby grabbed her hand, pulling her to the dance floor. "Come on, just one dance? That way you can say you at least danced with someone?"

Weiss gave in, smiling brightly when Ruby looked away. _"Sure, she might only be doing this because she wants me to have fun, but it's still so sweet of her…"_

Once they were on the dance floor, Ruby spun around and took one of Weiss' hands before putting her other on her lower back, causing the heiress to blush slightly. "Is this okay Weiss?"

"I-it's fine, dolt, just focus." Weiss started moving, with Ruby quickly mirroring her movements. After a while, Weiss couldn't help but notice how quickly and easily the faunus girl went through each step. "Wow Ruby, I didn't know you could dance this well."

Ruby smiled meekly. "I-I can't really, I'm just using my semblance to copy your moves and add it to my muscle memory." Weiss looked at the girl in disbelief.

"Dolt, that's going to give you a major headache by the time we're done!"

Ruby smiled as she looked the heiress in the eye, tail swaying gently behind her. "I don't care. It's already worth it."

Weiss blushed and looked to the side, a small smile on her face. "D-dolt…" _"I don't care what my father thinks about you being a girl or a faunus… I'm going to win your heart just so I can show you how amazing it feels when I'm with you, Ruby…"_

Ruby blushed slightly at the look on Weiss' face. _"When she smiles like that she looks like an angel… I swear Weiss, I'll do whatever it takes to make you fall in love with me if it means I can see that smile more…"_ When the music stopped they both briefly glanced at each other's' lips before looking away, stepping back from each other. "So, Weiss… Are you feeling better now?"

Weiss smiled again, making Ruby's heart skip a beat. "Much better, thank you Ruby." Ruby glanced around nervously.

"I-I'm going to go get some air, okay?" Weiss hummed before responding.

"Do you mind if I go with you then? Just to make sure you're okay I mean…" Ruby hesitated before nodding, heading toward the door. As the two left, Ruby stopped to look up, drawing Weiss' attention to a figure in black climbing along the rooftops.

Ruby let out a sigh before glancing at her partner. "We should probably take care of that, shouldn't we?" Weiss nodded running a hand down her face as they quickly pulled out their Scrolls, punching in the numbers for their lockers. The moment they arrived, they both quickly removed their weapons and started running toward the CCT Tower, chasing after the mysterious figure.

The duo glanced around as they entered the building, sighing as they saw the Altesian soldiers groaning as they picked themselves up. "You know, I thought Bisman and my dad were joking when they said Atlas favored quantity over quality… If one person could take this many soldiers out, either they're really good or the soldiers are really bad…" Ruby said quietly. Weiss rolled her eyes before they walked toward the elevator.

"Normally I would disagree, but it seems as though I have no counterargument in this case," Weiss said with a sigh. Ruby took off her heels and tapped her foot as the elevator climbed the building.

Ruby hummed as the doors opened back up, quickly activating Analysis and the speed aspect of Rose Storm, listening quietly as she looked around the room. She stopped when she heard a breath behind the reception desk, causing her to gesture around it before Weiss went to circle around from the other side. Before they took more than a few steps, a masked woman stepped out into the open. "You know, attacking Atlesian soldiers probably isn't the best idea. It'd probably be best if you-" Ruby watched as the woman grabbed a Dust canister off her belt and emptied the contents into the air in slow motion. As she saw the Dust form into jagged shards, she quickly spun Crescent Rose, deflecting the projectiles while Weiss ducked behind her.

Once it was safe, Ruby spun her scythe around and started opening fire while Weiss shot a few ice shards from Myrtenaster at her as well, stopping the moment the woman blocked the rounds with her hand, a barrier forming in front of it. _"Nox, I've only seen one other person do that…"_ "Weiss, be careful, she's a lot stronger than she looks!" Ruby shouted, causing the heiress to nod, remembering Ruby's story about her first run-in with Torchwick.

The woman quickly created a pair of swords as Ruby charged at her, using Crescent Rose to boost her speed as she slammed the blade into the ground where the woman was standing. The woman jumped into the air, the swords becoming a bow and three arrows before she fired them at Ruby, forcing her to pull her scythe out of the ground and take cover as the elevator door opened up. Ruby and Weiss glanced back to see Ironwood step out, giving the woman a chance to get away. Ruby let out a frustrated sigh. "Nox…" She quickly turned to Ironwood. "The woman who attacked Amber was here, I don't know what she was doing, but I think we should let Professor Ozpin know."

Weiss looked at Ruby in confusion. "Amber? Who's that?"

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll… tell you later…"

 **Sanctuary Ruins, Draconys**

Adrienne let out a dejected sigh as she glanced around. _"This is wrong… Nothing here should look like this…"_ She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she silently hoped that her grandfather's claims were just an exaggeration, but as she watched the Sentinels slowly comb through ruined buildings and lifeless parks she had to desperately resist the urge to cry. This was the city she gave her life to protect and to her it felt like her sacrifice was in vain. "So, how bad did these "Rose Hunts" get exactly?" she asked the fox faunus next to her.

"Bad enough. About thirty years ago five Roses were murdered in the middle of the Vytal Festival in Mistral a few hours after they spoke with representatives of the kingdoms. From what I heard from my mom, they had to end the festival early because the assassination caused enough of a panic that it drew the Grimm to the city. About twelve years ago, three of the last four Roses alive at the time were going to meet with the Council of Vale when someone attacked them outside the Council building. I kind of remember seeing that on the news, they tried to get away from the crowd and the guy set two of them on fire before shooting the third in the head." Adrienne shuddered at that.

" _Umbra_ , please tell me he didn't get away with it." Adrienne felt like screaming when the woman next to her shook her head.

"They know who he is but he just kind of vanished after that. The sad thing is, it wasn't the first time it happened either. They know for a fact he was involved in killing at least eight other members of your family, but a number of Faunus, including my parents, think he might have killed as many as 30." Adrienne ran a hand through her hair before glancing into the building behind her.

"Grandpa Auri, what are you doing exactly?" She stepped up behind him and watched as he tinkered with the rifle, slotting lenses into the new barrel before sliding the Primus Lapis into an opening where the chamber of a normal rifle of the design would go. As he carefully finished putting it together, he spoke up.

"The world has changed, Adrienne. We need every advantage we can get, even if it means merging the old with the new." The Orange Rose glanced over the gun before humming.

"So, we're going to be using the concepts from the Bastion then?" She smiled brightly when the Blue Rose nodded. At that moment, a Sentinel walked in holding a Prefect's helmet. Unlike the normal Sentinel helms, it had a face plate depicting a man with a beard.

Aurelius carefully took the helmet and walked over to the nearby table, where the rest of a Prefect's body was assembled. "We will, as soon as Janus is once again operational."

Greene looked at the two in confusion. "Janus? What are you talking about."

Adrienne answered while Aurelius carefully attached the head to the rest of the armor. "Jaunus is the Sentinel Prefect we've been trying to find the parts to. If we want to get to the Bastion soon, we'd need him even if he _wasn't_ a vital part of Sanctuary's military."

"So, what makes him different from the rest of the Sentinels and Prefects?" Greene asked before the armor lit up and suddenly rose off the table, eyes glowing as it glanced around.

"Such a terrible state of disrepair…" It said sadly. "I suppose Vulcan will have a difficult time correcting this."

"Janus, focus," Aurelius said, causing the Prefect to face him, suddenly at attention.

"Lord Aurelius! It's an honor to see you again, sir," he said happily before Aurelius sighed.

"We need to get to the Bastion. Do you know if Vulcan managed to finish the last pieces of its construction?" When the Prefect nodded, Aurelius took a step back. "Good, we're activating it. Inform Sanctuary's remaining garrison to track down the remaining Praetors and Centurions. We're going to take whatever is still intact with us."

"Ambitious." Jaunus started before Green spoke up.

"Wait, Praetors? Centurions? You never said anything about those!" Aurelius sighed.

"The Prefects and Templars are given ranks along with names. Some of the more capable Sentinels, Champions, Goliaths, and Juggernauts even get a lower title as well. Centurions are the leaders of squads and patrols, while Praetors are commanders of garrisons or patrol areas." Green nodded quietly before Janus continued.

"Very well, I'll make sure your orders are carried out to the letter." Before Janus left he placed a hand on the nearby doorway, causing the air inside to shimmer before a rift opened up inside it.

Aurelius sighed before he stepped forward, walking through the portal as Greene watched nervously. "I-is this safe?" Janus glanced at her before nodding. Adrienne quickly grabbed the faunus' hand and pulled her through, causing her to whimper as a tingling sensation went through her body. When she stepped out and opened her eyes, she let out a gasp. "W-what is this?" she said meekly.

Sitting in front of her in the distance, held off the ground by four massive supports, was a massive structure. It vaguely reminded her of the Amity Colosseum at first glance, with what looked like a platform around the edge halfway up with a massive wall beyond that. Underneath it were five massive crystals, one between each of the supports and the fifth, largest one sitting under the center of the structure. Her eyes moved up to see a tower rise above the rest of it, a large multicolored crystal sitting at the top. The buildings above the "ground" level of it, where the wall started, were, from what she could tell, all buttressed against the buildings closer to the wall. She shuddered as she realized just how big it truly was. _"I-it looks like it's the size of the city of Vale!"_

Aurelius glanced up at it with a hint of pride. "This is the culmination of five centuries of research and a hundred years of meticulous design. It combines every use of Dust devised by the time of its construction, including levitation, cannons using Dust and focusing lenses for defense, a powerful barrier to deter all but the largest Grimm, and the ability to control the conditions on and inside it, all powered by the largest Animus crystal in existence. It was designed as proof that we could build a city that no land based Grimm could attack, so that we could protect our people until we no longer had to worry about being prey for them. This… is the city of Bastion."

 **And that's the end of this chapter. Ruby may have slipped and shared something she shouldn't at the end of the fight with Cinder, but her near-perfect memory means everyone's aware of Cinder's presence and people are going to be more alert.**

 **I would like to apologize to anyone who got frustrated by the little White Rose scene where they both want the other to be in love with them but neither of them are willing to say anything about their own feelings.**

 **A bit on the Prefects and Templars with their ranks. As stated in this chapter, Prefects and Templars can hold a rank, the two most common being Centurions and Praetors. The difference between Prefects and other Sentinels, as well as between Templars and other Goliaths, is the Materia Dust lattice that allows them to function is complex enough to have a soul of its own, giving each one a semblance of some type with minimal downsides, if any. Janus, for example, is able to create rifts and gateways in space, instantly linking two points together, regardless of where they are, so long as he's aware of both the origin and destination locations. Janus is the most important, however, in that he holds the rank of "Imperator," or Military Commander. Every other Sentinel, Goliath, and Archon-type automaton, including other Prefects and Templars, answer to him above even their Centurion officers and Praetors. Janus, as a result, can only take orders from a member of the Triumvirate.**

 **Also of note with Janus, for some reason when I wrote his first line I randomly felt like he should have a British accent. Let me know if you guys got the same impression.**

 **Aurelius is upgrading the rifle he had, briefly, as Arthur Bisman. Unlike Ruby's Crescent Rose, the weapon Aurelius is making will fire bursts of energy from the Primus Lapis instead of bullets, meaning that each shot will have an elemental charge (Burn, Frost, Shock, Wind, etc) to it. The question here is, do you think Ruby should be able to do something similar, either by creating her own Animus Dust crystal or being given one by Aurelius?**

 **We've now had our first look at the Bastion. The city is a single massive structure that relies on Materia Dust lattices to transfer energy between different areas and power everything. The city is protected by a powerful barrier generated by a series of Shock Animus crystals. Frost, Burn, and Wind Animus Dust crystals maintain both a breathable atmosphere and comfortable temperatures at any altitude in every location inside the Bastion. The Materia lattices are also designed to make the city more or less self-repairing if needed.**

 **The city is divided into 4 regions: the external docks/walls, the surface, the core, and the Citadel. The area outside the walls contains docks and landing pads for Roc-type constructs to land, as well as smaller airborne constructs. Each docking area has enough space for five Rocs and has a gatehouse-style entrance to the city proper. A number of specially-designed defensive turrets functioning off a principle similar to Aurelius' rifle are also located along the external area and underside, providing protection against most airborne Grimm and allowing it to target larger ground-based Grimm when flying low enough.**

 **The surface is every part of the city within the walls, above the dock level, and outside the Citadel and contains a large number of residential areas, some businesses, and parks, allowing it to hold a fairly large population. The buildings on the surface are all buttressed first against the outer wall, and then against the buildings below them, getting taller as you get closer to the Citadel.**

 **The "Core" refers to everything below the level of the docks and is completely internal, with large corridors and a few areas set aside for arboretums to recreate the above-ground parks. The two areas combined could hold a population at least 1.5 times the size of Vale, if not more, depending on the conditions.**

 **The most important part of the Bastion is the Citadel, located right in the center of the surface region. The Citadel serves as a combination of a school, government center, and barracks for the city's garrison, making it the closest equivalent the Bastion has to Beacon or Atlas Academy. Much of the area is meant to be a large park, with a number of buildings to serve the Citadel's purpose. At its heart is the Spire, a massive tower stretching up from the lowest levels of the Core region to above every building in the surface region. The Spire houses most of the important aspects of the Citadel, including the Council chamber intended for use by the Triumvirate to communicate with each other and the citizens, as well as the control center for the entire city near the top of the Spire. At the Spire's heart is an Animus Dust crystal that goes from just above the primary Gravity Animus Dust crystal to beyond the upper reaches of the tower. At a glance, it looks like a single massive crystal, but everything above the Spire's summit is actually five different crystals that are connected by a specially designed frame to the rest of the Spire crystal.**

 **The entire Crystal stores the energy reserves used by all of Bastion, allowing it to stay airborne and in a fight for long periods of time, however the energy requirement means it can only properly charge with a fairly large population or Aurelius' presence nearby, making it difficult to maintain at present for long periods if Aurelius isn't actually there.**

 **The Spire crystal also controls every Speaker construct, making it the source of Sanctuary's CCT-like communication system and, with modifications and adaptations, could actually function as a CCT Tower if need be.**

 **From the lowest point of the Gravity crystals to the highest point of the Spire crystal, the Bastion is the tallest structure in all of Remnant.**


	22. Chapter 22: Activation, Hunt Begins

**Before we start this chapter, I'd like to apologize to Starburst2879 for not putting a warning in about just how the dance scene might be frustrating to White Rose shippers. I meant for it to be both heartwarming and a bit frustrating, but not that much.**

 **Chapter 22: Activation and the Hunt Begins**

 **Citadel Council Chamber, Bastion**

Greene flinched as the massive armored fist struck the table, the Templar roaring in rage and the air around him shimmering slightly from the heat. The normal Templar helmet was replaced by a helm with a serious, somewhat intimidating facial expression. "Sanctuary is in ruins and you'd rather spend time playing in the mountains? We don't have time for this, Artemis!" the Templar growled out in a deep rumble. A Prefect next to him let out a sigh, glancing to the side through the single eyehole in his helm. Another Prefect, with a more feminine design and a regal faceplate tapped her spear against the floor in frustration.

The Prefect sitting across from him, another feminine design with a calm woman's face, casually checked her bow as she spoke up. "We both know the Grimm are too big a threat, if we're going to rebuild-" Aurelius quickly stepped into the room with Janus and Adrienne behind him, along with another Prefect with a face plate displaying a mischievous, if not psychotic grin.

"We're not rebuilding Sanctuary right now, Artemis," Aurelius muttered before sitting down, Adrienne taking a seat as Janus stood behind him. The Blue Rose let out a sigh as the last Prefect sat down, resting his feet against the table. "Loki, this is serious, stop messing around." The Prefect let out a sigh before sitting normally as Aurelius glanced at the Templar. "Vulcan, I know you're angry about the destruction to Sanctuary, but we can't do much here right now. Salem has survived and one of the Maidens was recently attacked." The temperature in the room dropped back to normal as Vulcan, Loki, and Artemis all glanced at the Rose before the one-eyed Prefect spoke up.

"So, the greatest threat to civilization is acting outside Draconys. I suppose that means we're moving to act instead of sitting here repairing empty cities." The Prefect glared at Vulcan before Aurelius spoke up.

"That would be correct, Odin. We need every advantage we have, including Bastion… And the Aegis." The Prefect nodded silently, grabbing the spear next to him before the other silent Prefect stood up, grabbing her spear and shield.

"Athena and I will ensure the defenses are operational then. By your leave," Odin stated before spinning around, Athena behind him.

Aurelius hummed quietly before glancing at Vulcan. "We're going to be activating the Spire. Are all the Gravity crystals linked up?" The Templar scoffed before stepping away from the table.

"Of course they are! _Everything_ in the Bastion is ready once power starts flowing!" Aurelius nodded and stood up, walking out of the room. Greene looked around meekly before following the remaining occupants out, watching as the group approached a large doorway leading to the heart of the Citadel's central tower.

Once the door opened, she paled. Standing in front of her was a massive Dust crystal sitting in the middle of a pit, a number of bridges leading up to it on the level they were standing on. As she looked up, the fox faunus saw that the crystal continued up, similar supports and bridges at each level, beyond the point where she could see past them. "H-how big is this?"

Aurelius sighed. "Large enough that if the SDC broke it apart and sold it as normal Dust, they could shut down mining operations for at least a decade and still turn a profit." As Aurelius stepped forward onto the central platform encircling the crystal, he reached out to touch it, letting out a heavy sigh as it started to hum, a gentle glow coming from it. The room lit up as lines of Dust carved into the surfaces started to shine and a barrier shimmered into existence above the low barrier surrounding the pit to prevent anyone from falling to their deaths. A few platforms drifted out from several levels, starting to move downward before landing in slots around the level they were on.

As Aurelius stepped back, he quickly leaned against his staff, causing Greene to look at Adrienne. "I-is he okay?"

Adrienne nodded, frowning. "He can charge an Animus crystal outside the normal method, but it drains him. Something this big… Even his strength probably wouldn't charge it very much." After a moment the floor started to shake under them for a moment as a rumbling roar came from down near the bottom of the pit. Janus stepped over to a nearby panel as Dust particles flowed over it.

"The Bastion has detached from the construction platform and is currently gaining altitude," he said before running his hand along the screen created by the Dust. "We are moving. I calculate that we will arrive over the kingdom of Vale in… Five days. Activating the storm shroud… The Bastion is now hidden from sight."

Aurelius nodded before standing up. "This isn't an elegant solution, but it is the most efficient way to prepare for what will most likely come. Once we enter the borders of the… Kingdom of Vale, we'll deploy in a Roc to prevent anyone from thinking we found much of use." Greene let out a relieved sigh. The expedition was over and her team could finally leave this accursed land.

 **Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office**

Ozpin let out a sigh as Ironwood leaned forward on the desk. "They were _here,_ Ozpin! They were here in the CCT Tower!"

"Thank you, James. We're very much aware of that," Glynda said, crossing her arms.

"Fantastic! You're _aware_ of it. Now, are we going to actually _do_ something about it or are we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's _right in front of us_ while letting a group of _children_ run around doing a soldier's job?!" Before Ironwood could continue, a beeping sounded from Ozpin's desk. The headmaster hit a button and the elevator door opened before Ruby and Weiss stepped out.

"You wanted to see us, Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Ruby, Weiss, thank you for coming. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.

The pair glanced at each other before Weiss sighed. "I'm certain we would be feeling better if that woman from before hadn't gotten away… Or if we knew what she was doing here."

Ruby looked away. "I know I'd feel better if I actually managed to catch someone for once…"

"Ruby, Weiss…" Ironwood stepped forward, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "I feel it's appropriate to let you two know that I think what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could…" He turned to walk back to Ozpin's desk, muttering under his breath. "Even if children shouldn't have anything to do with this." Ruby narrowed her eyes, but chose to say nothing.

"Now then, the general has already informed us of the events that transpired last night… But now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add." Ozpin started before Goodwitch continued.

"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar at all?" Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other in confusion while Ironwood swore silently.

"W-what do you mean? I already told General Ironwood who I thought it was," Ruby said, causing Ozpin and Glynda to look at the man before Ozpin spoke up.

"Care to explain, James?"

Ironwood looked at him in disbelief. "You really trust a child's word over mine, Ozpin? If she did tell me anything, why would I keep it secret from you?"

Ruby decided to speak up. "Maybe because you think the soldiers that got knocked out last night could do a better job than a child." Before Ironwood could react, Ozpin spoke up again.

"That's enough. The reason isn't important. What _is_ important is what you saw, Ruby."

Ruby took a deep breath. "The woman we found up here, she used Dust to create shards of glass or… something. Not only that but she had the same glyphs or runes on her when she did that as the woman that was helping Torchwick." Ozpin and Glynda looked at each other before Ironwood spoke up.

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could've been anyeone."

Ruby growled slightly. "How about embedding Dust into skin so that it lined up with the runes on the clothing? Do most people do that?" Ironwood opened his mouth to respond before Ozpin spoke up.

"It is possible that the Dust was planted into her skin and that it just shone through her clothing perhaps. Regardless, we have no way to correctly link the two together."

Ruby tapped her chin for a moment before speaking up. "W-well, there's that girl from Mistral, Cinder. She does sound like the person from the recordings I gave you, Professor Ozpin." Ironwood scoffed suddenly.

"You mean the low-quality sound files you gave us? Maybe your semblance makes it sound like it's her, but it doesn't sound anything like her from what I can tell."

Ozpin let out a sigh as he held his face in his hands. _"Why do Ruby and James insist on this nonsense? Like father, like daughter I suppose…"_

"It doesn't matter," Weiss said, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "I got a look at her, and even with the mask she still had the same hair color, hair style, eye color, and build as Cinder does."

Before the argument continued, Ozpin stood up. "That's enough! While I'm willing to admit that Ruby and Weiss might be correct, we have to consider the fact that it was someone else, especially since Ms. Fall was seen in the ballroom during the time this incident occurred."

"But-" Weiss started before Ruby put a hand on her shoulder, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"He's right Weiss. I mean, I've seen pictures of my mom and we look exactly the same." Weiss deflated slightly but nodded.

Ozpin spoke up. "Ruby, Weiss. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but there isn't much we can do to prove that it was Cinder without tipping her off. Go, spend some time with your team, you have a busy day ahead of you. Just… please try to be discrete about this. The fewer people that are aware, the better it is" The two nodded quietly before leaving.

Ironwood growled. "Now that that's out of the way, can we get back to the claim that the White Fang are operating somewhere to the southeast of the city? We should send as many troops as we can, find out exactly what's going on and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."

Glynda tightened her grip on the riding crop. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado? You treat every situation like it's a contest of-"

"You know…" Ozpin said suddenly. "During the golden age of Sanctuary, the numerous defenders had a rule when chasing down a rumor about a nest of Grimm. In order to prevent the elder, more cautious Grimm from getting the pack to escape and hide as an army approached, they would send a small party ahead to first determine if the pack's nest was even in the area in the first place. Then, if need be, they would send more detachments a few at a time to encircle the Grimm before the main force would sweep in. If the pack tried to flee, the smaller parties would intercept them and occupy them long enough for the rest of the force to sweep in, while fighting the main body of the group let the smaller parties move in to attack from behind."

Ironwood looked at the headmaster suspiciously. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we continue as planned. The most likely place for the White Fang to be hiding is Mountain Glenn, so we should send a small team there, one that isn't going to immediately draw alarm, so that if the base is in that area the White Fang won't immediately destroy any documents or other useful information that could lead us to their true goal." Ozpin glanced at Glynda. "Add a mission to the roster for today, a search and destroy mission in Quadrant 5, and assign it to team RWBY ahead of time. Knowing them, they'll try to take the mission anyways."

Ironwood stepped forward. "Ozpin, you can't be serious!"

"I am serious James. Ruby's dual semblances mean she'd be the best chance we have outside full military assault to locate the base and is our best hope of getting information intact outside a team of fully trained Huntsmen." Ironwood sighed and walked out, clenching his fists as he did so.

" _If you honestly think these_ children _can do what the entire Atlesian military can't, you're in for a rude awakening, Ozpin…"_

 **Team RWBY's Dorm Room**

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she sat on her bed. "I don't understand how someone could be that _stubborn!_ "

Ruby spoke up sadly. "I'm pretty sure he's angry that his troops couldn't do anything and he's taking it out on us because he doesn't like the idea a few girls could do more than trained soldiers."

Yang looked over the edge of her bed before holding up a cylindrical package, waving it for Ruby to see. "I know what'll cheer you up! Dad sent this to us, I thought I'd wait until you got back to open it." Yang quickly popped the lid off and shook the package, causing the fur-covered contents to drop into Blake's lap.

Blake watched apprehensively as it quickly took on the form of a small corgi, letting out a shriek as it jumped to lick her face before shoving it off her. "Get that away from me!"

Ruby quickly ran over and grabbed the whimpering dog, tail wagging. "Zwei! Don't worry buddy, I'll keep you safe from the mean ol' grumpy cat!" Zwei barked happily and licked Ruby's face, causing the girl to giggle. "I missed you too Zwei!"

Weiss bit her lip, trying desperately to resist the urge to squeal and tackle her secret crush and the puppy to the ground. _"Oh god, this is too adorable!"_

Blake shouted across the room in dismay. "He sent a _dog_ in the mail?!"

Yang smiled meekly. "Sorry Blake, I didn't know what was in there, I swear! He does shit like this all the time, I should really expect it!"

Weiss finally lost the fight and let out a squeal as she moved over to her partner. "Ruby, your dog is so cute!" She quickly started scratching behind his ears, causing his eyes to close. Glynda's voice over the PA system caught the group's attention.

"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater for your mission assignments."

"We can't leave him here for a week, can we?" Weiss asked, slightly disappointed before Ruby spoke up.

"Well, I mean if we find a mission where his nose could come in handy, we might be able to take him with us."

Yang grinned while Blake whimpered. "Great idea sis! Let's go!"

 **Amphitheater, after Ozpin's speech**

Ruby smiled as she looked at her team. "This is perfect, all we need to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast."

Weiss nodded. "I think there was one on the board that might work." They walked over and Ruby took a look at the board.

"Search and Destroy, Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out." She went to tap the board to selected it when a message popped up. "Wait, "this mission has already been assigned to team RWBY?" I didn't even enter anything yet!"

"That's because you didn't _need_ to," Ozpin said behind them. "After all, I suspected you would continue your search regardless and we needed a team we could trust to take the mission. I felt that out of everyone here, you had the best chance of success."

Ruby looked at her team before turning to Ozpin with a smile. "We won't let you down, professor! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times and do exactly what he says. He will be leading you on this mission and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. I doubt he will, but it would be unfortunate if that came to pass. Good luck." The members of Team RWBY glanced at each other as Ozpin left, uncertain how to feel about that.

 **Beacon Docks, the next day**

The members of Team RWBY let out a sigh as they found themselves in front of Oobleck as he started rambling on. "I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you we will not be establishing a single base of operations…" He took a breath at the end. "Now then, any questions?"

Ruby meekly raised her hand. "U-um, would it be okay for me to bring Zwei along?" Ruby nervously held the dog out before continuing. "His nose is as good as mine, so it might help to have him along in case we have to split up, right?"

Oobleck looked at her for a moment before turning around. "Very well! Hurry up girls, we're already three minutes behind schedule!" He quickly blinked toward the bullhead.

"Hey guys! Where are you going?" Team RWBY turned around to see JNPR walk up behind them, Nora standing in front of the group. Ruby smirked when she noticed how close Jaune and Pyrrha were standing before she answered.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom."

Nora perked up. "Hey! So are we!"

Pyrrha put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village."

Ren spoke up. "We set out tomorrow." Sun and Neptune walked up behind the group.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune said. "We're shadowing a crime specialist! All inner-city detective stuff."

Sun quickly chimed in. "We normally go to the city with you guys," he pointed at Team RWBY before continuing. "Which means stuff's always exploding and junk. Soo, we thought this would be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, y'know, normal."

Ruby was about to speak up when Oobleck shouted from the bullhead. "Four minutes ladies!" Team RWBY sighed and started walking toward the bullhead, not willing to make the doctor wait any longer.

 **I'm going to cut the chapter short here. We have a few characters to discuss, mainly Ironwood and the rest of Sanctuary's top-ranking officers. I haven't put much thought into Greene's character yet other than her being a skeptic that's found herself way in over her head, but I might add more depth to that soon.**

 **First up is Ironwood. As I said before, I'm not entirely sure if he's just an incompetent leader, a glory hound that's determined to prove the Atlesian military is the most skilled and powerful force on Remnant, a traitor to Ozpin's group, or a combination of the three. For the time being, the latter two can act more or less the same way (Ironwood's refusal to share Ruby's discovery with Ozpin could either be him hoping the lack of information humiliates Ozpin while allowing him to improve his reputation and that of Atlas or trying to help protect one of his real allies for instance) and gives me a bit of breathing room to decide. Let me know what you think about each option in a review. Other than that, his preference for large, dramatic shows of power or equally blunt solutions as the first response to problems puts him in stark contrast to Aurelius, who prefers more refined, cautious, and controlled solutions as all but the last resort, and even then Aurelius still prefers a more artistic approach.**

 **As this chapter shows, the Prefects and Templars can have either male or female designs and personalities. Of the new ones revealed in this chapter, we have the Templar Vulcan, as well as the Prefects Odin, Loki, Athena, and Artemis. Like Janus, each one has a rank and a title (in the case of Janus, it would be "Master of the Void" for his use of portals) which will be given below. Since I forgot to mention it, the "face" Janus has is that of an older man with a neutral expression.**

 **Vulcan, the Architect and Forge Master, is the only Templar to hold the rank of Praetor. He holds mastery over fire, which he uses to fulfill his responsibility of assisting in crafting Sanctuary's tools of war and buildings. While he was built for carnage and destruction, he has developed an obsession with engineering, going so far as to have his own artistic vision, and despises the idea of leaving something in ruin. His proud and stubborn nature puts him at odds with the rest of the Praetors, however. He's also the only one on the list to have two "faces," one of which has a calm, yet serious expression, while the other has an expression of pure rage.**

 **Artemis, Queen of the Hunt, is one of two female Prefects on the War Council and holds the rank of Praetor. She was designed mainly to lead the most skilled of the Sentinel constructs on hunting expeditions deep into the wilderness and held mastery over light and darkness, allowing her to shroud herself from sight. This ability is unique in that it can "spread" temporarily to the automatons under her command, allowing them to do the same to a limited degree. Of the members of the War Council, she's one of the two most skilled at reconnaissance, second only to Loki in intelligence gathering and completely unmatched in guerilla warfare. She has a calm expression. Besides her minor rivalry with Loki, she also often competes with Odin for the title of best marksman and often argues with Vulcan due to her preference for subtly over his insistence on brute force.**

 **Loki, Master of Illusions and Mad Specter, a Prefect with the rank of Centurion that serves as the Council's master spy under Artemis. Unlike a human or faunus, his mastery over illusions and shapeshifting comes without the usual downsides of such a semblance, but he has a mischievous streak and often prefers to work alone. His shapeshifting allows him to, naturally, take on any form he wants, even going so far as impersonating someone. This makes him excellent at infiltration, but he isn't as good at direct combat as Artemis, leaving him to rely on his abilities more than the others. His face, which features a large smile, is one of the most unnerving features on any of the Prefects, as are the horns that curve from the top of his helmet around to his chin. He has the least professional attitude of all the Centurions and Praetors shown, often angering them either because he doesn't really care or because it amuses him.**

 **After that, we have Odin, known as the All-Seeing. While a design flaw left him with only one eye, he quickly revealed that it did nothing to interfere with his combat abilities, allowing him to quickly achieve the rank of Praetor. He gains his title from the fact that he can "gaze" on any point within ten miles of Sanctuary's outer wall from the base of the Citadel Spire. Due to this and his near-perfect aim, he was often called on to test all weapon systems designed by the sages of Sanctuary to ensure they were precise to his extreme standards. Most noteworthy of all, in the absence of a member of the Triumvirate, Janus, or a high-ranking member of the Rose family or the Order of the Blue Rose, Odin is responsible for commanding the Bastion's defenses and garrison. Beyond that, he's also responsible for the operation of the Aegis, Bastion's most powerful defense system. His insistence on precision puts him at odds with the undisciplined Loki and the aggressive, blunt Vulcan. Odin's face has a calm, sagely expression.**

 **Athena, the Warrior-Scholar, is another female Prefect and holds the rank of Centurion under Odin's command. Her primary duty is mostly to assist in regulating power flow from the Spire to major systems and back, making sure the energy is where it's needed the most. Outside Odin, she's also the only one allowed to interact with the Aegis without authorization. Of the members of the War Council, she's also the most intelligent, often assisting in creating strategies or reconfiguring Bastion's inner workings to make adjustments for newer technology. In the event anything were to be added to Bastion that might not be perfectly compatible, it would be Athena's job to ensure it works flawlessly. In combat, she tends to rely on a shield and spear, with her skill making her one of the best at commanding Sanctuary's Champions. Beyond that, she has a degree of mastery over electricity, allowing her to draw Shock-elemental energy from any location in the Bastion due to the Dust lattices that cover every surface. Her face has a thoughtful expression.**


	23. Chapter 23: A Sage at Mountain Glenn

**I'm going to be trying to combine the events of the episodes Search and Destroy, Mountain Glenn, and No Brakes into a single chapter since there isn't much that's changed about them until we get into No Brakes, then probably add in a heavily changed series of events that takes the place of Breach. As a result, it's going to be a** _ **long**_ **one (around 5500 words without ANs) and I'd like to apologize in advance.**

 **Note: thank you to Bookah for catching a mistake I made. I've corrected a small narrative error in this chapter as a result.**

 **Chapter 23: A Sage at Mountain Glenn**

 **Citadel Training Grounds, Bastion**

Greene dropped her mace, panting heavily as she looked up at the orange-cloaked swordsman in front of her. After the Bastion had started moving, the members of her expedition had started practicing with the automatons and the two members of the Rose family. Greene had been unlucky enough to draw the short straw and fight against the Orange Rose, only to be casually knocked around while Aurelius worked on regaining his strength and endurance. As the blade's tip left her neck, the fox glanced over at the Blue Rose, watching him pull himself off the ground after a hard hit. "How can he keep going?"

Adrienne shrugged. "He has an incredibly strong will, strong enough to create a special type of Dust meant to mend injuries without much effort. He can't keep going forever, but as long as he's careful about it he won't have to worry so much about the Rose Storm literally tearing him apart when he tries to use it. It's one of the perks of being a Dust Sage when you're a member of the Rose family."

Greene glanced at the girl in front of her. "A-are you-"

"A Sage?" Greene nodded. "Every Rose has some affinity when it comes to Dust manipulation, but yeah, I'm probably one of the more skilled ones. Nobody can keep up with Aurelius though."

"How does it work exactly?" Adrienne hummed.

"Well, there's a number of tiers when it comes to Dust Manipulation. The simplest form is "activating" Essentia Dust. You might not know it, but your common everyday Dust doesn't actually release its full potential as easily as most people think. It's pretty inert, just sitting there until something happens that causes it to release its energy before disintegrating. The thing is, someone with a bit of practice can activate it, causing all the Dust's energy to be ready for whatever purpose the Sage wants. You can usually tell because active Essentia Dust shines brighter than anything but a fully charged Animus crystal. It's pretty dangerous since an active, unshielded Dust crystal hit by the same type of elemental attribute, say a Burn crystal hit with a fireball, will supercharge it and cause it to release all of its energy at once."

Adrienne continued. "After that there's the ability to bend the energy of an active Essentia crystal, Materia lattice, or Animus crystal to your will. This can be done to combine two elemental types of Dust into a more complex, powerful type, or to force it to act on the world around them. Some people have semblances with elemental aspects that let them do something similar, but it's not quite the same since it only gives them control over one type of Dust."

"The third step is being able to create a Materia lattice, which lets them create anything you'd find here in the Bastion, from the system that keeps the air in to the lights. The complexity and number of uses for the lattices means being able to make them is practically an art form… The last stage is the ability to create Animus Dust crystals, essentially giving the Sage a source of near-limitless Dust to use. Only a few people can do that and it's extremely draining to do, so you won't find many Animus crystals just laying around."

Greene glanced around, frowning slightly. "Hey, where's Athena? I haven't seen her anywhere today."

Adrienne smiled sheepishly. "I think Janus said something about how we're close enough to Vale for him to open a rift there, it's possible that he sent Athena to scout out the situation."

Greene nodded before she stood up, grabbing her mace. "I think that's enough of a break, I'm not stopping until I beat you at least once."

Adrienne grinned. "Good luck then, I admire your spirit, but you're not going to be able to do that!"

 **Near Mountain Glenn**

Ruby slowly moved a Dust crystal through her hand as Yang spoke up, trying to pass the time as the bullhead flew over the forests. "Sorry doc, I just never saw you as much of a fighter."

"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussels," Oobleck said before Weiss spoke up.

"So where are we going exactly?" Oobleck turned to face her.

"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location of one of the kingdom's greatest failures."

Ruby glanced up before speaking. "Mountain Glenn. It was meant to be an expansion of Vale before it was overwhelmed and blocked off from the rest of the city, right?"

Oobleck nodded. "And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder."

Blake glanced out the door, frowning slightly. "And a likely place for a hideout…"

Oobleck nodded as the Bullhead slowed to a stop, turning toward the doorway. "Exactly. We're here, everyone out!" With that, he quickly jumped out, followed by Blake, Weiss, and Yang. Ruby smirked at the Burn crystal in her hand as it glowed more brightly before slipping it into her pocket, jumping out as she deployed Crescent Rose. She quickly put Zwei down once she hit the ground. Team RWBY glanced around, watching for trouble while the bullhead flew away. Oobleck took a sip from his thermos before stepped forward, leading the way through the city.

 **A few hours later**

Weiss let out a sigh as she stabbed the last Beowolf in the chest while Oobleck spoke up behind her. "So, Ms. Schnee, a girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. Why did you choose this line of work over a cushy job in Atlas?" Weiss pulled Myrtenaster out of the Grimm, taking a moment to think before she responded.

"Honestly, you if asked me that when I first arrived at Beacon, I probably would have told you that it's because I'm a Schnee and I have a legacy of honor to uphold, that this is what I had to do with my life… But I'm not so sure now."

"Are you saying you're uncertain if you should be here?" Oobleck said, not looking up from his notes as he continued writing. Weiss quickly looked at him in surprise.

"No, quite the opposite actually. It's just… I've gained more satisfaction out of my short time as a student at Beacon and a part of this team than I have from anything else that happened in my life, even the thought of one day taking over as head of the SDC. I'm not sure if I'm driven by the sense of duty I always said was my reason for becoming a Huntress or if there's another reason. I guess since I'm out from my father's shadow I can finally be myself, whoever that is."

Oobleck nodded. "So, this is a journey of self-discovery for you?" Weiss nodded before the doctor continued. "So, what do you think your motivation for being here is?"

Weiss glanced down the street to where Ruby was holding a chicken on the end of Crescent Rose, dangling it over Zwei. A small smile found its way onto her face before she answered. "Maybe because it's where I can do the most good and help the most people. Honestly, I don't think the reason why matters though, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

Oobleck nodded, giving the heiress an approving smile. "Very well then, that's a commendable answer Ms. Schnee." He quickly jumped up from the piece of rubble he was sitting on before moving off toward Blake. Weiss followed behind, only stopping when Oobleck suddenly flung his pack at Yang after he finished talking to a now confused Blake. "You three, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure that there are no more of those creatures." He turned around to face Weiss, Blake, and Yang before continuing. "Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come Ruby!" The cloaked girl gave her team an apologetic look before following behind the doctor. The three sighed before moving into the nearby building.

 **With Ruby and Oobleck**

Ruby followed behind the doctor quietly until they came to the edge of the city, letting out a gasp as she saw a line of elephant-like Grimm moving in the distance. "Doctor Oobleck, is it safe to be wandering through this area if there's Mammoths that big nearby?"

"Ruby, the Grimm you see before you are much older and stronger than the ones you've fought. Not every Grimm is mindless, or still mindless. Ones such as these, ones that have lived for hundreds of years, have learned that attacking our borders or killing humans will result in their own demise."

"They why are they so close to the city?" Ruby asked, glancing at the doctor.

"They're waiting." Ruby hummed before she asked her next question.

"They're waiting for something to happen… that would make it easier to attack Vale?"

"Precisely. Hopefully the day will never come when we have to deal with that, but we must still be prepared for anything." Oobleck turned around and started heading back to the campsite, Ruby behind him.

 **With Weiss, Blake, and Yang**

Yang let out a sigh as she sat down. "Why do you think Oobleck was asking about our reasons to become Huntresses?" she asked, glancing at the other two girls.

Weiss took a breath before answering. "It could be that he wanted to know if we were serious about our choice to become Huntresses. After all, if we can't justify our decision to someone else, how can we justify it to ourselves? Or, maybe he was trying to see if we would honestly tell someone why we really want to be Huntresses or if were in it more for ourselves."

Yang nodded and went to speak up before Oobleck walked in, Ruby quickly sitting by the fire to warm up. "Excellent! A textbook campfire! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed! We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Ruby quickly raised her hand before Oobleck blinked off to another part of the building. The girl stood up, unfolding Crescent Rose and resting it on her shoulder before heading over to a nearby gap in the wall, only stopping when Yang grabbed her shoulder.

"Did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? What did you tell him?" the blonde asked, causing her sister to blink.

"He didn't actually now that you mention it… Weird. Well, good night guys." The group let out a sigh and said goodnight to their leader before she sat down on a piece of rubble, looking over the ruins in front of her. After a while, she heard the trio behind her talking, humming to herself as she realized they were talking about their reasons for wanting to be Huntresses, a smile on her face as she heard Weiss mention that the most important thing was that they were protecting people.

Just before she was going to switch spots with Yang, she heard voices in the distance, causing her to frown before she went back toward the fire, gently shaking Yang's shoulder. The blonde woke up, staring at the faunus as she yawned. "My turn on watch pup?" Ruby quickly shook her head, whispering.

"I heard someone talking outside, I need you to wake everyone up while I go to take a look around, okay?" The blonde instantly woke up, nodding to the girl before she stood back up, heading out of the building. Ruby heard the rest of her team waking up as she moved down the street, her Analysis active and on alert. She stopped when she noticed Zwei behind her, causing her to smile. "Hey buddy, are you going to watch my back? Come on…"

Ruby spotted the two White Fang members and followed them silently, using Rose Storm to shift between pieces of rubble as they moved through the town. Eventually, they came to a metal panel laying on a gap between two ruined columns and Ruby watched quietly as they lifted the panel and stepped through. The moment they were out of sight, Ruby stood up and started quickly moving back towards the camp, stopping when the ground shook. She let out a gasp as the road collapsed underneath her, Crescent Rose falling out of her hands onto the pavement before she dropped down. Ruby let out a groan as she hit the roof of a building, not hearing the surprised shouts from behind her as a White Fang member stepped forward, slamming his gun into the back of her head and knocking her out.

When she came to, she realized she was being dragged along the ground. She took a moment to look around, mentally logging everything the White Fang had. "What are you trying to do? Blow us all to the moon?!" one of the masked men shouted at another, causing Ruby to pale.

" _They have bombs down here? What could they be using those for?"_ She was drawn out of her thoughts as the men dragging her stopped.

"Hey boss! We found something you might wanna see!" After a moment, Ruby heard a familiar voice.

"Is it good or bad, Perry? Because, let me tell ya, I have had a day!"

"Uh… It's a little girl?" A slightly panicked voice rang out from a nearby train car, causing Ruby to turn her head in an attempt to see what was going on.

"Oh, for the love of god, I _really_ hope this is a joke, Perry! If you've got a wolf faunus in a red hood, we're going to have a-" Torchwick stepped out of the train car and let out a small whimper. "Really Red? _Again?_ Can't you and your little friends leave me alone just _once?_ "

 **On the Surface, with Oobleck, Weiss, Blake, and Yang**

" _N-no…"_ Weiss paced franticly around the mouth of the pit as Oobleck rambled on about the final fate of Mountain Glenn, trying desperately not to break down. Ruby had fallen into a cave system full of Grimm. _"She's trapped in a giant tomb with… Oh god, Ruby…"_ Weiss took a step towards the pit before Yang grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" the blonde asked before Weiss pulled her arm free.

"We need to get down there. We have to find Ruby, right? We all said we'd work together to figure out what the White Fang and Torchwick are up to and _I_ promised that I'd never betray her trust. If I don't help her, then I don't deserve to be a Huntress, let alone her partner!"

The blonde took a step back, arms raised. "Easy there Weiss, I'm not saying we should leave her down there. I'm just saying, we need to know what we're going to do before we drop down and potentially kill ourselves. I doubt Ruby would like that much either."

Weiss let out a sigh and nodded, listening as Oobleck started explaining the quickest way to get into the caverns. _"Ruby, please be okay…"_

 **With Ruby**

Ruby let out a growl as Torchwick put the end of his cane against her neck. "Seriously Red, _how_ did you find this place? I'd really like to kno-" A loud explosion stopped him, causing him to look up long enough for Ruby to make her move. She quickly reached down, grabbing the knife she had hidden in her boot before making a slash at Torchwick, causing him to step back in surprise before she sprinted down the tunnel towards the sound of gunfire. She let out a relieved sigh as she saw a familiar white-haired girl charge around the corner ahead. She was about to call out when she felt something snag her hood, yanking her off her feet.

Weiss paled as the hook on Torchwick's cane started to pull Ruby back towards him. "Ruby, hold on!" she shouted out before a bullet hit the wall next to her, causing her to quickly use a Glyph as a shield. As she started moving forward, she saw Ruby reach behind her to grab the thin cable before carefully using the knife to cut through it. After a few seconds, the cable broke, winding all the way back into Torchwick's cane before he let out a frustrated shout, turning to a nearby White Fang member.

"Get the cart attached to the train, tell everyone we're getting out of here!" He held up his hand quickly. "I don't care if we aren't done, we are _out of time!_ " He quickly made a dash towards the engine as the White Fang members scrambled around.

Ruby ran over to Weiss, panting as she rubbed her neck. The heiress put a hand on the girl's shoulder, not bothering to hide her worry. "Ruby, are you okay?"

The faunus nodded, rubbing her neck weakly. "Y-yeah, it just hurt when it pulled on my cloak is all…" Weiss looked her in the eye before sighing, handing Crescent Rose to the young wolf. Ruby quickly deployed her scythe after tucking the knife back in its spot as Oobleck and the rest of her team came around the corner. "We've got a problem. They've got a train filled with weapons, androids, and mechs, as well as a few bombs. Doctor Oobleck, where do the tunnels lead?"

Oobleck paled suddenly. "T-they lead into Vale… If they do have bombs on the train, it's entirely possible that they plan to breach the tunnels underneath the city and let the Grimm swarm through them."

Ruby let out a sigh before turning towards the train. "We have to stop them then!" Ruby took a deep breath before activating the Rose Storm, pulling the others with her toward the train before stopping on top, gasping for air. Weiss helped the girl to her feet before they started running along the train, taking out the White Fang as they went.

 **With Torchwick**

Roman let out a frustrated groan when a White Fang member stepped into the locomotive and told him that Team RWBY was on the train. "Grab some cargo and get them off! Detach the rear car and detonate it remotely if you have to, just stop them!" As soon as the door closed Torchwick let out a sigh, turning toward the faunus controlling the train. "I swear, it doesn't matter if you're human or faunus, eventually you run into someone that's so stupid you want to shoot them in the face, you know what I mean?"

The faunus let out a grunt before glancing at the orange-haired man. "I know exactly what you mean, Ash is dumber than any human I've met."

"Oh, I can think of a few that make him look like a genius. Before I was working with you guys, I had to hire these clowns that had to be reminded to shoot people that attacked them." Roman shrugged. "Eh, oh well, not much to do about it."

 **With RWBY and Oobleck**

Ruby let out a frustrated groan as she fired her rifle, spinning through the air and knocking a group of White Fang off the train. Another explosion sounded behind her, causing her to run a hand through her hair. She knew Yang and Blake went down below to try and disable the bombs, but she wasn't sure how they were doing. "We're not going to reach the front at this rate!" She blinked in surprise as a flaming ball of fur flew past her, hitting a Paladin hard enough to shatter it. _"Was that Zwei?"_ Looking back in surprise, she saw Oobleck standing as if he'd just hit the corgi into the mech. Her eyes widened as an idea came to her. She pulled the Burn crystal out of her pocket, focusing as it started to glow before holding it up "Doctor Oobleck! Do you think you could hit this out in front of the train from here without using Burn Dust or setting it on fire?"

Oobleck glanced at it for a moment before responding. "Yes, I believe so, but I don't see how that-"

Ruby turned to her partner. "Weiss, do you think you'd be able to hit this with a Burn-infused blast from Myrtenaster?"

"Of course, what are you-" Weiss glared as Ruby pulled out her headphones, quickly covering her four ears. _"She promised she wouldn't listen to music in a fight, what is she-"_ Weiss stopped as Ruby removed the cable connected to the headphones, watching in confusion as the wolf handed her some ear plugs, giving a pair to Oobleck as well.

"Okay! Doctor Oobleck, I need you to hit this as hard as you can! Weiss, when I tap on your shoulder, you need to shoot it with a blast of Burn Dust! Once that happens, take cover!" The two quickly put the ear plugs in before Ruby tossed the brightly glowing crystal into the air in front of Oobleck. The doctor swung his bat at it, sending it hurtling away like a shooting star. Weiss quickly spun the cylinder on her rapier until Burn was selected, thrusting it forward when she felt Ruby's hand on her shoulder. The three quickly jumped clear of the train before Weiss' attack hit the crystal.

 **With Torchwick**

Roman watched with confusion as a bright red speck flew out in front of the train. "What the hell?" Before anyone could respond, a spear of Burn energy slammed into the small crystal, causing a massive explosion that completely destroyed the tracks ahead, leaving a massive hole in the floor and ceiling. "Shit, hold on!" he yelled before the engine drove into the crater, derailing the entire train.

 **With Yang**

Yang let out a groan as she looked up at Neo standing in front of her as she smiled tauntingly, drawing a thin blade out of her umbrella. Before the shorter girl could finish the blonde off, she jumped out of the way of a sword strike as a figure dressed in red appeared out of nowhere, causing her to pale. Before either could move, an explosion shook the train as the car was knocked off the tracks. A look of horror crossed the girl's face, her eyes turning almost pure white before she sprinted off toward the front of the train. Yang saw the figure depart through a rift before she blacked out.

 **Beacon Academy, with Team JNPR**

Jaune stopped as a siren sounded, causing him to glance around. Before he could say anything, a voice came over the emergency broadcast system. "Attention! An explosion in the southeast quadrant approximately three miles outside the city walls has collapsed a tunnel network. A large number of Grimm have already been reported escaping the collapse on approach to the city. All available Huntsmen and Huntress are requested to report to the southeast region to assist in defense. All civilians are advised to head to emergency shelters immediately. I repeat…" Jaune glanced at the rest of his team before they started running toward the docks.

Cinder glared off towards the city in annoyance as Emerald spoke up next to her. "You don't think…"

"Sure looks like it…" Mercury said with a sigh.

"That's still days away!"

The two looked at Cinder. "So, what do we do?"

Cinder let out a sigh before heading towards a bullhead. "This doesn't change anything. It's just a minor inconvenience after all… But we should assist to keep up appearances."

 **Above Vale, Atlesian Cruiser Aurora, With Ironwood.**

The general let out a sigh as video footage from a dropship played on the nearby screen. "Deploy squads three through six, inform Blue two through four to fly low and use their light point-defense systems to assist in the fight. Get us in range to assist, now!" He glanced at the screen one last time as his men started to scramble around the bridge before he turned to the Communications Officer. "Try to get in contact with the Vale Council. We need to have a discussion about the defense of the Vytal Festival." The man nodded before moving to carry out his task. _"I warned you this would happen Ozpin…"_

 **With Ruby, Weiss, and Oobleck**

Weiss let out a groan as she stood up, glancing around to notice Ruby had already started to fight the approaching Grimm. "Weiss! I need your help! Oobleck went up onto the surface and said the train was just passing under a hill when we did that! He said something about using the bombs to seal the tunnel, we need to find Blake and Yang before we get out of here!"

Weiss nodded quickly before they ran towards the train, seeing a dazed Blake carrying Yang out. "Are you two okay?"

"W-we're fine, Yang wasn't badly hurt. What the hell happened?" Weiss and Ruby shared a sheepish glance before Ruby spoke up.

"We don't have time, Grimm are swarming all over! We need to get out of here now!" Blake nodded and started dragging the unconscious blonde along with her. As they climbed out of the tunnel they took a moment to gasp at what they were seeing. A group of Atlesian warships had dropped close to the ground, small weapons systems firing on Grimm as Beowolfs were vaporized. A group of dropships flew down from the Aurora, miniguns firing at a Deathstalker as they dropped a number of Atlesian Knights into the battle. A cheerful laugh drew their attention to Nora as she swung her hammer at an Ursa, causing it to explode in a blast of lightning as Ren opened fire on a Beowolf behind her. Much to the group's surprise, Jaune had somehow managed to cut the arm off another Ursa while Pyrrha was opening fire on a swarm of small Nevermores. Team CVFY was staying close to Coco as she fired her gatling gun down into the hole from the hillside, thinning the numbers while Yatsuhashi cleaved through any Grimm that tried to move up the hill.

Ruby glanced back at her team in confusion before taking a breath. "Blake, keep Yang safe, okay? Weiss and I will try to help out as best we can." Blake nodded, quickly making her way towards a group of Atlesian Knights. Ruby and Weiss were about to run to help JNPR when they heard a groan behind them. When they turned around, they found Neo dragging Torchwick out of the hole, clearly trying to get him to safety. Ruby ran towards the pair, causing Neo to make a move to block her before Torchwick grabbed her wrist.

"Neo, there's no way you can fight them and all this. Just get out of here, I'll be fine." The girl quickly started trying to sign something to Torchwick before he growled out. "No buts! Get out of here!" The girl looked down hesitantly before turning and running, vanishing from sight after a few steps. As soon as the girl was gone, Roman let out a sigh. "Okay Red, you win… I surrender…"

Before anyone could respond, an explosion shook the ground before part of the hill collapsed. A moment later, the Grimm stopped swarming out of the hole, causing everyone to let out a sigh of relief as a pair of Atlesian soldiers quickly dragged Torchwick to a nearby dropship. After a bit of cleaning up, Team RWBY let out a sigh of relief, finally heading home.

 **Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office**

"Councilor, you can't be serious," Ozpin said, trying to hide his exasperation.

"We don't have a choice, Ozpin," the Vale Council leader stated. "The Vytal Festival Tournament cannot be held if we are unable to ensure the safety of our citizens. As a result, we have reached out to the Atlas Council and together have decided that the best option is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event in your place."

"Thank you, Councilman," Ironwood stated. "Our kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that this event runs as smoothly and as safely as possible."

"And we thank you, general," the Councilor stated as Ozpin put his cup down on the table, leaning forward as he stared at the screen.

"Councilor, the team I sent out was able to prevent that train from reaching the city walls. If Ironwood had sent his army, the White Fang and Roman Torchwick would have sent it before they even knew where to look."

"No, Ozpin, they _barely_ stopped the train." Ironwood said calmly. "As I've told you before, you can't rely on these children to handle something this serious, especially someone as notoriously unstable as a Rose."

The Councilor spoke up. "Ah, that reminds me. General Ironwood's reports of the last few weeks have left us somewhat… concerned about your ability to remain objective and act appropriately to the threats against our kingdom. Once the Vytal Festival is over, we will be conducting a review to determine if you are still capable of carrying out your duties as Headmaster of Beacon."

Ozpin let out a frustrated sigh. "Will that be all, Councilor?"

"No, that is all." The Council vanished from the screen before Ironwood spoke up.

"This is the right move, Ozpin. I promise. I will keep our people safe, you have to trust me." Before Ironwood could cut the connection, Ozpin spoke up.

"Is it, general? Is this the right move? You seem so determined that I should trust you when you seem completely unwilling to trust my judgement. So, I have to wonder. Do you really think this is what's best for Vale… Or is it what's best for Atlas? Or, are you only doing it because it benefits you?" Ozpin tapped a button on his desk, cutting the call short before he turned around, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I suppose I should apologize, old friend. It seems not everyone is willing to listen to reason as you hoped…"

 **Bastion Council Chamber**

Aurelius hummed quietly as Athena finished her report. "So, they were able to prevent the incursion before it breached the city walls." Athena nodded.

"That's correct. It seems only a single five-person team was sent to locate the group and they were successful. However, I feel it would be worth noting that a single Dust crystal was used to stop the train and that the tunnel was sealed before any significant number of Grimm could escape to threaten the city."

Aurelius leaned forward, a small smile on his face. "So, are you telling me that the general's response was excessive?" Vulcan scoffed as Athena nodded.

"That would be correct. However, I did notice a Rose was part of the group responsible for stopping the train. It didn't appear that she has awakened her full potential quite yet, unfortunately."

Adrienne perked up at this. "So, this Ruby girl you mentioned was there then." Aurelius nodded before Janus stepped forward.

"It seems that Lord Zoroaster was an excellent decision to handle the situation after your death, Aurelius."

The Blue Rose nodded, gazing at the Dust hologram of Vale that occupied the table. "It would appear so. Ironwood is, as always, a blunt instrument however… How long until Bastion is in position?"

Athena spoke up. "With increases to propulsion efficiency, we should drift over Beacon by noon tomorrow, taking up a position to the east as you requested."

Aurelius stood up, everyone else rising as well. "Prepare a Roc, have a number of Sentinels and Goliaths dismantled to save space for transport. When we arrive, we'll have them assembled and placed throughout Vale. If anything happens, they will activate and assist in defense until we can properly mobilize."

Janus nodded before the various members of the War Council left. Adrienne smiled at her grandfather. "So, I guess she's taking the first steps toward becoming a Sage. For someone that young to have started without no instruction is impressive though."

Aurelius hummed. "She _is_ a prodigy, isn't she?" He let out a sigh as his eyes turned blue, taking on the form of Arthur Bisman as his cloak disintegrated, forming a blue rose in the lapel of his coat. "We should get ready. I'm sure Ruby would like to know of recent developments."

 **This chapter took longer to write and is longer than I intended. I'd like to apologize. Regardless, we're going to be moving on to the events of Volume Three in two chapters. Next chapter will be an interlude in between events from canon named "Red Meets Blue" and should be up some time in the next 24 hours.**

 **Unlike in canon, Ozpin wasn't quite able to hide his anger and frustration at Ironwood's reaction to the events surrounding Mountain Glenn, which makes sense considering, as Athena states near the end, Team RWBY and Oobleck were able to stop the train far enough from the city and seal the tunnel fast enough that Ironwood's intervention wasn't truly necessary. Nobody was injured, the job was done right, but Ozpin still has to deal with an unreasonable Council.**

 **As always, please leave a review if you have input.**


	24. Chapter 24: Red Meets Blue

**I'd like to apologize for anyone confused by last chapter. If I didn't have an event shown or a similar one in its place, I was omitting events that weren't changed in the chapter. Only a small number of parts were changed from the first two of the four episodes covered and I really didn't think people would want to read things that were completely unchanged, like Yang and Blake giving their reasons for wanting to become Huntresses, which is referenced in the previous chapter.**

 **By request, I'm putting a warning here about a cute/frustrating White Rose scene during this.**

 **Chapter 24: Red Meets Blue**

 **Beacon Courtyard, with Team RWBY**

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh as she led her team towards the CCT Tower and Ozpin's office. She wasn't sure why, but they woke up to find a message saying they were to report to the headmaster's office first thing when they woke up. "Do you think he already has another lead for us?" she asked glancing back at her team before Weiss spoke up.

"I certainly hope not. There's a storm that's supposed to be drifting in from Draconys some time today and I doubt anyone wants to be outside when it arrives." Blake looked at the other three in confusion.

"What's so bad about a storm coming in from Draconys exactly? It's just a bit of rain, right?" Yang turned to her partner with a look of dismay.

"You don't know? Wow, I guess you really _did_ grow up outside the kingdoms. Normal storms might blow off the continent from time to time, but those aren't the kind people are worried about. See, every few years this… _thing_ called a Miasmic Storm, or just Miasma, forms somewhere in Draconys and then drifts out over the ocean before hitting one of the Kingdoms."

Weiss nodded before speaking up. "The rain is mildly toxic and can drive Grimm into a frenzy, but worse than that is you can't tell if it's just a normal storm or the Miasma until it hits… And even if it's a normal storm they tend to linger for a while. If it does hit Vale, we probably won't be seeing the sun for about a week."

Ruby hummed before chiming in. "There's always been some kind of corruption in the air of northern Draconys, it could be that's what causes the Miasma. Either way, we should really-" Ruby was cut off by a humming noise as a ship flew by overhead. At a glance, it reminded them of a small airship until they noticed the lack of engines and the wings simply floating beside it. The group watched as it slowly drifted toward the docks, the wings moving to sit flat against the top. Yang glanced at the group in confusion.

"What was that?"

Ruby looked at the blonde before speaking up. "I don't know, but now I'm curious…" She quickly took off towards the docks, eager to see what was going on as her team ran after her.

 **Beacon Docks**

"Will you be careful with these? Each one has Dust engraved into it, the last thing we need is you knocking something loose and one of them coming online up here!" Aurelius let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, watching as a group of Atlesian soldiers searched through the crates, casually tossing the pieces of Sentinels and Goliaths around. He glanced to the side as he heard a groan, looking at Adrienne. Like him, she had decided to use the transformative aspect of the Rose Storm to hide her true appearance, blue eyes replacing silver and black hair replaced by brown with streaks of orange in it, a single orange rose entwined in her hair. Rather than her normal outfit, she was wearing a simple orange dress and shoes, leaning against the ship. Aurelius had taken on the familiar form of Arthur Bisman, but with a dark blue coat and tie in place of his original outfit, a blue rose resting in the lapel.

"Come on, it's not a big deal," a nearby lieutenant said with a sigh. "This is all just junk." He held up Vulcan's head. "I mean seriously, do you really think this hunk of junk could take on one of our Paladins?"

"Yep, and I think you'd have your head crushed for the "hunk of junk" remark," Adrienne said cheerfully. The soldiers stopped and stared at her nervously, some reaching for their weapons. "What? It's the truth…"

Aurelius sighed. "Even if it is, it's best to not provoke them. They're trigger happy enough as it is." Adrienne pouted slightly before leaning against the Roc's hull.

The lieutenant nodded before he spoke up. "Hey, did you hear about that incident yesterday? Apparently, the Headmaster of Beacon sent the team with that Rose girl to look for some White Fang base out to the southeast."

Aurelius nodded with a smile. "From what I've heard, they performed their job admirably and prevented any damage to the city or loss of life."

The lieutenant scoffed. "You're joking, right? They barely stopped the train before it reached Vale. Crazy wolf snapped and blew up the tunnel and the Grimm swarmed out. Now there's this massive pit a few miles outside the city that we've got to watch constantly. It's just like the general said, every Rose is an unstable lunatic, you can't trust them." The soldier didn't notice the clouds form overhead or the wind pick up suddenly, but he did notice the man in front of him growl.

"Is that so? Would you mind telling me where the general is so I can… congratulate him on a job well done?"

The lieutenant swallowed nervously before the words left his mouth. "H-he's up in the CCT, I think he was waiting for the Rose girl so he could discuss the incident with her and the headmaster." Before anyone could respond a girl's voice interrupted them.

"Oh wow, what is all this?" A red blur suddenly moved into view, moving to grab something from the pile on the ground before a pair of soldiers stepped in front of her.

"I'm sorry, but nobody is allowed to interact with any of this until it's been searched and we've determined that none of it is dangerous," one of them said before the members of Team RWBY let out a frustrated sigh. Aurelius took a step forward, causing the girls to look at him, Ruby blinking in confusion as she noticed the small blue flower.

"Professor Bisman?" Ruby said, head tilted to the side with an ear down, making it hard for Weiss not to tackle her to the ground.

" _I swear, she has to know how adorable she's being when she does that. There's no way she could be so accidentally cute!"_ Weiss thought quickly before the man spoke up.

"In a manner of speaking," Aurelius responded before spinning Ruby around, pushing her towards the CCT Tower. "Now then, I think we should go see Ozpin and a certain _general_. It wouldn't do to keep them waiting, would it?" The members of Team RWBY shuddered at the normally relaxed professor's tone before Ruby decided to speak up.

"U-uh, where did you get the blue rose? And who's the other girl?" Aurelius sighed.

"I'll explain once we get to Ozpin's office, okay? I don't want people to hear." Ruby pouted but continued along.

 **Ozpin's Office**

Ironwood let out a frustrated sigh as he paced around in front of Ozpin's desk, occasionally glaring at the elevator door. "Is this really how you trained these kids, Ozpin? They can't even be bothered to show up on time." Ozpin let out a frustrated sigh and Glynda went to speak before the elevator beeped. The headmaster quickly pressed the button to allow entry to the office, blinking as he saw the group that walked in.

"Ah, Professor Bisman. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Ozpin said with a weak smile before the man stopped in front of the desk.

"And I never expected to see you again, Zoroaster," Aurelius said with a smile as the rose disintegrated, creating a cloud of petals around him. His hair turned black and blue eyes became silver as the petals quickly formed a dark blue cloak on his shoulders, a Rose crest pinning it in place. Ruby let out a surprised squeak while the rest of her team took a step back in surprise.

"W-wait, how do- when did- what?!" Ruby sputtered in confusion before the girl in orange grinned, the rose in her hair disintegrating to form a cloud around her, eventually turning into a cloak as her dress was replaced with a padded black shirt and pants along with black boots.

Ozpin on the other hand let out a sigh of relief. "Aurelius, I was afraid you'd truly departed from the world all that time ago." The Blue Rose pat the other man on the shoulder before stepping back. Weiss took a moment to speak up.

"W-wait, Aurelius as in the Blue Rose? The one Ruby and her entire family is descended from?" Aurelius nodded.

"That would be correct, and this…" He quickly gestured to the orange-cloaked girl next to him, causing her to wave at the group. "Is Adrienne, one of the greatest fighters our family has ever seen."

The Orange Rose quickly walked over to the wolf and grabbed her hand, shaking it slightly. "I'm so happy to finally meet you. Grandpa Auri told me so much about you and your friends!" Before Ruby could say anything, Weiss spoke up.

"That's… That's all well and good, but how are you alive?"

Aurelius let out a sigh before he started explaining his rebirths to his audience, briefly touching on Dust before he finished. When he was done Ironwood scoffed. "That's a nice story, _Bisman,_ but the idea that something like that could possibly happen is preposterous! Coming back from the dead by transferring your soul to another body? Who in their right mind do you expect to believe that?" Ozpin let out a quiet sigh before Ruby spoke up.

"So this is where you draw the line? I think he's telling the truth. Besides, having three Roses means that it'll be easier to figure out what's going on, we just need another mis-"

"Actually, Ruby…" Ironwood started as he turned around. "This is no longer the concern of _any_ of you." Aurelius glared before taking a step toward the general.

"Explain. _Now._ I'm already tired of your opinions and self-importance as it is," the Blue Rose growled out.

Ironwood gave him a dismissive glance. "After your near-failure yesterday…" He raised his hand to silence Team RWBY's protests. "The Vale Council has decided that Ozpin and the students of Beacon cannot be counted on to defend the city during the Vytal Festival Tournament. They have officially reached out to Atlas and had _me_ put in charge of security. Also, due to the exact nature of the incident, the Council has decided that it cannot be certain of Team RWBY's capacity to perform field assignments or remain objective. As such, until an evaluation of each individual member can be conducted by a specialist from Atlas, it has been decided that your team will be barred from missions outside the city walls. Your team must also be monitored at all times while on missions within the city and each member will be escorted by a member of the Atlesian military when leaving the city to ensure you don't do anything… _drastic_." Aurelius growled.

"Is this because you don't think they can handle assignments, _general_ , or because you don't think anyone from my family is _stable_ enough to function in a leadership position?" Ruby looked on in surprise as the general flinched. "The men you sent to _examine_ the finds of the expedition were more than a little talkative. I believe your expectations were that Ruby would either blow up half the southeast quadrant or they'd fail in a way that put the city in danger."

"I never said any of that," Ironwood said before Aurelius growled, eyes glowing.

"Your eyes tell me you lie and your voice does nothing to disguise it as truth. Does your bravado and courage only go skin deep?"

"Look around you!" Ironwood snapped. "The Rose family has failed at every turn! They couldn't their own near-extinction, they couldn't stop the Great War, and you, _Bisman_ , couldn't stop any of it from happening! Why should we expect you or a young _girl_ to be able to do anything that could change this? Do you really think-" The general was stopped by a hand wrapped around his neck.

"Let me explain this to you, _general_ …" Aurelius started. "I don't care what you think of me, but you've insulted my family and are trying to destroy the dreams of four promising Huntresses. I will _not_ abide by that. Once the Vytal Festival is over, I will talk to the Vale Council about reconsidering their decisions on this matter. Until then, I will tolerate your presence and nothing more." The Blue Rose glared into the man's eyes before he finished. "If you ever insult, hurt, or threaten a member of my family again, there will be more than words between us. Is that clear?" Ironwood nodded before Aurelius released his grip, turning to the elevator. "If there's nothing else, Team RWBY will be leaving with me. I'm sure they would like some time to relax after this _incident_." The members of Team RWBY quietly followed the man, Ruby looking down at the ground.

 **In a bakery in Vale, with RWBY and the Rose Family**

"So, if you want to make a call, you hit this button after entering the number, or if you have it saved, just selected the person you want to call and hit the button," Yang said, leaning over Adrienne, who had returned to her earlier form.

Adrienne nodded, blue eyes glancing over the screen of the Scroll in her hand. "This is amazing, it's like a little mini-Speaker you can carry around in your pocket!" Yang blinked.

"Y-yeah, a Speaker, whatever that is…" Blake sighed.

"It's one of the Draconian constructs, the little ball thing they used for communication. We went over it in class before Bisman- I mean Aurelius- went on that expedition." Yang scratched the back of her head while returning to helping Adrienne get adjusted to the modern world.

Ruby and Weiss sat at a nearby table, the faunus looking down sadly as she sniffled quietly, tears dropping onto the table. Weiss reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to look up. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this Ruby. I know you said being a Huntress is what you've always wanted to do, and we'll make sure you get to be one. Ironwood isn't going to stop us from helping people, I promise." Ruby looked up at her, smiling weakly before Weiss bit her lip. _"She needs to know someone cares… but I can't tell her how I feel, not yet… M-maybe when we take care of this whole situation I can tell her."_ "For what it's worth, I think you're an amazing leader, Ruby. If more people were like you the world would be a better place."

Ruby wiped her eyes, still smiling a bit. "D-do you mean it?" Weiss rolled her eyes as she stood up.

"Of course I do, dolt. Now, how about we get some cookies? It's my treat," Weiss said before Ruby hopped up, giving her a quick hug.

"Thanks, Weiss. You're the best friend I've ever had…" _"I just wish we could be more than that sometimes…"_

Weiss blushed as she rolled her eyes. "It's nothing, really." _"Maybe some day we we'll be more than that…"_

The two quickly went to the counter, Weiss silently watching as Ruby selected a few dozen cookies before buying them for the faunus girl. As the two went back to the table, Weiss glanced over to see Ruby quickly take a pill, smiling before she spoke up. "I was worried I'd have to remind you of that, you aren't really in the best mood right now." Ruby smiled weakly.

"It's fine, I know not to forget that." Ruby sat down and starting eating cookies. After a moment she stopped looking nervously at Weiss. "Can you keep a secret for me, please?" When Weiss nodded Ruby continued. "Aurelius coming back means the Order of the Blue Rose is probably coming back… I was thinking of joining it."

Weiss blinked in surprise. Ruby had told her partner about the Order of the Blue Rose, a group made up mostly of members of the Rose family and others that had chosen to protect Sanctuary at any cost. For some reason, Weiss couldn't picture Ruby anywhere else. "That's very noble of you Ruby, but I don't understand why you don't want anyone to know."

Ruby sighed. "I-it's just… After yesterday Tai called me. He… Wasn't too happy about his daughters risking their lives when anyone else could have gone in their place and I don't think he really approves of me following in mom's footsteps…"

Aurelius sat down across from the two with a sigh. "It's not really his choice. If a Rose wants to fight to defend those they care about, nothing can stop them from doing so… Well, except for their own combat skills." Ruby and Weiss looked at the man before he smiled. "Adrienne can help you with the Rose Storm and another little trick of ours, but I will be teaching you about Dust and how to use it." Ruby smiled brightly at this. "Just remember, you probably won't be too happy with your training. Adrienne has an incredible amount of energy, even for a Rose, and I won't let you skip out on my lessons just because she's tired you out."

Ruby smiled. Weiss was right, Ironwood could stop her from taking missions, but he couldn't stop her from training. Now, she was going to learn exactly what it meant to be a Rose. "Before we start, I was hoping I could ask you for a favor…"

 **That's it for this chapter. I do have a question though. I'm trying to come up with a name for the power of a Rose's silver eyes but all I can come up with is something that (to me) sounds boring, like "Rose Trance" or "Warrior's Trance." If you have a suggestion, please send me a message or leave a review.**

 **I've decided that, most likely, I'll make Ironwood a glory hound over being a traitor. The main reason is I kind of feel like giving him a chance to redeem himself and the other option for who's going to cause problems in Atlas is already going to be an unlikable, if not universally despised, character anyways, so I might as well stick with one unredeemable monster in Atlas. As a result, Ironwood is going to be more interested in prestige and proving Atlas is the best country in Remnant. As a result, he will be trying to save the various kingdoms through use of force and exerting Atlesian influence and dominance, as well as confirming Atlesian military superiority.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	25. Chapter 25: Introductions and Training

**Before we start with this chapter I thought I should address the guest review from the previous chapter. If you don't have an interest in the explanation of Ironwood's actions last chapter, please skip to the beginning of the chapter, but it might give you an idea of exactly what's going on right now. If you do read the full AN, please give your input on if you think the last part** _ **should**_ **be what Ruby's forced to deal with now.**

 **In regards to the "how and why" of Ironwood's actions, it's important to remember that he's a glory hound; he personally believes Atlas as the greatest of the four kingdoms and that it has the most advanced and best trained military force in Remnant. This belief was drilled into him during his time training at Atlas and he drilled it into the heads of every student there once he became headmaster.**

 **In his mind, it's Atlas' job to enforce peace throughout Remnant and to remind the other kingdoms of Atlesian military superiority. To him, there's no possible situation that his men can't handle and he's always considered the Rose family unstable and reckless, as many others do. As a result, he's stubbornly against the Rose family and doesn't give any weight to what they say since they're, in his mind, highly undisciplined and refuse to work with others. The fact that Ruby is able to casually pick up information and track down leads that his men couldn't, along with her proving the Mountain Glenn situation could be dealt with more easily by a five-person squad than he expected his entire army to be able to do so, has done nothing but shake his beliefs to the core. It stands as a stark reminder of just how rigid and complacent the Atlesian military has become and how poorly they'd be able to handle a fight with a group like the White Fang in guerrilla warfare.**

 **The result is that Ironwood finds the successes of Ruby and her team to be a threat to the perception of Atlesian military dominance, which, in his mind, means they need to be kept under thumb while he works to reassert Atlesian supremacy. There are four reasons** _ **why**_ **he convinced the Vale Council to do this. He knows if he's made responsible for the Vytal Festival's security, he can prove that Atlas can still handle the situation. By restricting Team RWBY to taking missions within the city walls, he intends to demoralize the team in hopes that they give up on the search. By forcing them to work under constant surveillance and restricting their movements outside the city to wherever they can convince** _ **him**_ **to authorize an escort, he hopes to continue demoralizing them and to ensure that they don't interfere or overshadow the Atlesian military any further.**

 **Lastly, by having an** _ **Atlesian**_ **specialist determine each individual member's mental state, capability, and reliability, he's able to keep them in this situation for as long as he wants until either they agree to back down or do things his way. If they refuse, he'll simply have the specialist say they're unstable and unfit to be a Huntress, something that Ruby is very much aware could happen to her, which is why she was crying in the last chapter.**

 **As for the question of how Ironwood convinced the Council to follow through with this course of action, there's three reasons. The first is that once Ironwood started to become intimidated by Team RWBY's presence, he started watching them carefully for the first mistake they made in an attempt to find something he could blow out of proportions to make at least one member look bad. The Mountain Glenn Incident gave him** _ **exactly**_ **what he needed, so he contacted the Council before anyone could determine what happened and made certain to plant the seeds of doubt in their mind** _ **before**_ **the reports reached their desks. Secondly, they** _ **did**_ **read the reports, which in this case would justify Ironwood's reasoning since they had a member of the Rose family (often viewed as unstable and reckless) claiming that she created a massive crater with a single Burn Dust crystal, on top of almost failing to stop the train according to Ironwood. This makes Team RWBY, especially Ruby herself, look dangerous and possibly unhinged. After all, if Team RWBY and Oobleck are telling the truth, Ruby could cause massive collateral damage if she snapped inside Vale. The third reason for how he got them to support him is probably the most pragmatic; if you had at least five warships hovering over your city and no way to defend against them, you probably wouldn't want to risk angering the person in command too much, would you?**

 **The end result is that the Vale Council didn't have much choice but to accept Ironwood's suggestion and, honestly, if I was trying to be realistic Ruby would probably be under constant surveillance and not allowed to wander around outside her combat class or the Amity Colosseum Arena with Crescent Rose, her knife, or any Dust crystals, with any training having to be approved by either Ironwood or the Vale Council. Even then, Aurelius could find a workaround to let her train without interference or observation. Regardless, please leave a review saying if you think Ruby** _ **should**_ **have those restrictions on her for the sake of the story or not.**

 **Chapter 25: Introductions and Training**

 **Bastion, Citadel Grounds**

The members of Team RWBY looked around in awe as the portal closed behind them. "Y-you mean to tell me this entire thing was built two thousand years ago and it's just sitting in the air east of Beacon right now? It's at least the size of the Amity Colosseum!" Weiss said, waving her arms as she gestured around.

"Actually, the Citadel only covers a small area of Bastion's surface layer and the central region of the entire construction. Overall, the Bastion could hold a population up to twice the size of Vale's without difficulty if need be," a voice said behind them, causing them to turn and jump away from the armored figure behind them.

Aurelius stepped forward, nodding to the figure before turning to face the girls in front of him. "Allow me to introduce you to Janus, the supreme commander of the Draconian constructs." The figure put his fist against his chest, bowing slightly as a group of other Prefects stepped over. Aurelius first pointed to a Prefect with an almost bored posture, a large grin shaped onto the face plate in contrast to its almost bored posture as it casually played with a knife. "This is Loki. While Ironwood was willing to give you some space for the next two or three days, I felt having Loki take our spots in Beacon for the time being would be beneficial in case he decides to change his mind." The Prefect gave a half salute as Aurelius went down the line. "After him we have Artemis, who will be helping with Ruby's training, Odin, and Athena." The remaining three quickly nodded before Ruby spoke up.

"Um, okay, I have two questions… Why is Artemis helping with my training? And why is it Janus is the only one that doesn't have any weapons?"

Janus spoke up. "Adrienne and Aurelius might be training you, but neither of them will be sparring with you. Aurelius is spending his time building up his own speed and strength, while Adrienne is getting her blade redesigned. Artemis is the only one amongst this group besides Loki that has any hope of competing with you should you awake your true potential mid-spar. As for why I don't have a weapon, I don't need one with my abilities."

Weiss sighed. "Is that arrogance or an honest self-assessment?" Janus stared at her momentarily before turning to face Loki, snapping his fingers before the other Prefect fell through a portal in the ground. Once the portal closed, Janus glanced at Weiss, Blake, and Yang.

"Now that the clown is gone, you may explore the Citadel as you wish. We will have a Sentinel escorting you to answer questions or provide assistance in the event you become lost." The three nodded before Aurelius turned to Ruby.

"Now then, I think it's time we got started, don't you, young wolf?" Adrienne grinned while the rest of Team RWBY glanced at their leader nervously. She gave them a reassuring smile before they walked off, leaving the Roses alone with Artemis.

Adrienne sat down with a sigh. "So, Ruby. How much do you know about the Rose family's eyes?"

Ruby blinked. "Um, I know there's something about silver eyes having some kind of power, beyond that…"

Aurelius let out a sigh as he started walking around the clearing. "When humanity was created, the brother gods gave us four gifts: the power of creation, the power of destruction, knowledge, and choice. When the god of light realized that the Grimm his brother had made earlier would one day wipe their combined creation out, he decided to amplify these gifts in a few individuals. Only one survived long enough to learn the truth of these gifts. The gifts of knowledge and creation were combined into a single stone, binding the individual's soul the Remnant for as long as they had the will to continue the fight. The gifts of knowledge and destruction were focused into his eyes, _my_ eyes, to turn us into powerful sages and unparalleled warriors. When we hunt, our prey sees nothing but silver and fears what hides in the shadows. This power is our Vigil."

"When a member of the Rose family first starts to become "Awakened," the first stage of our power, they go into a Rose's Trance, a state where their eyes don't yet glow, but they achieve a tranquility that makes them almost untouchable to many fighters and lesser Grimm. When they become fully Awakened, their eyes start to glow when they enter their Vigil and they regain the ability to interact with others as normal even within a Trance, while being able to make Grimm cower at their presence. The second stage, the "Unrelenting," gains increased endurance and an unbreakable will along with an ability called the "Vengeful Rage," allowing them to petrify even giant Grimm or seriously injure a corrupted Maiden with a glance at the cost of some of their strength. Beyond that is the final stage, the "Enlightened," where a Rose becomes powerful enough that only sheer numbers or a truly powerful Grimm could defeat them if they're in their peak condition. The Enlightened have access to two abilities: the "Silver Tempest," which greatly amplifies the power of the Rose Storm, and the "Reaper's Stare," which allows them to destroy a Grimm with a glance or use the darkness inside a Maiden's heart to destroy her, forcing her power to find a new host or merge with the Rose if they know how to call on it."

Ruby looked on in awe as she heard this. "W-wow…"

Aurelius turned to her with a smile. "Do you remember the fight you had in the Emerald Forest just before you were paired with Weiss?" Ruby thought for a moment before nodding. "I believe you have already slipped into a Trance on at least one occasion, so you are probably close to the first stage of the Vigil's power. We will be spending the next few days trying to get you to the Awakened stage in preparation of the tournament and any incidents that might happen. Meanwhile, I will be instructing you on Dust magic."

Ruby smiled brightly, tail wagging behind her. "This is so cool! When do we start? What are you going to do first?!" Ruby was stopped by Adrienne laughing as she stood up.

"Well, you're eager, aren't you? I'll give you a choice. You can either start training against Artemis, or you can have a practice match with me. No weapons, no Rose Storm, no cloaks."

Ruby grinned before she reached up, removing her cloak before carefully folding it up. "I want to try my luck against you first!" Aurelius laughed quietly as Adrienne stood up.

"That might be the worst mistake ever, pup. I know people that would rather fight against _Vulcan_ than Adrienne, and he's a Templar." Ruby glanced at him in surprise before looking at the Orange Rose sheepishly.

Adrienne spoke up before the Red Rose could say anything. "Nope, you're not getting out of this one, Ruby. Once you challenge an Orange Rose, you don't get to back down until someone loses." Ruby let out a whimper as she got into a fighting stance, waiting to see what her fellow Rose would do. Before the match could start, a breeze pulled out the grass in a ring around them. Aurelius stepped forward.

"The first person to leave the circle loses. If your opponent is on the ground, you have to wait for them to either surrender or stand back up before you may continue the fight. Is this understood?" The two girls nodded. "Then begin."

Ruby and Adrienne circled each other slowly, the Orange Rose's eyes taking on a slight glow. "I'll go easy on you this time, but we still need to see if we can get you to at least the first stage, okay?" Ruby nodded meekly, activating her Analysis before the other girl charged forward, swinging a fist at the wolf's shoulder before she went to sidestep, causing Adrienne to grin as she grabbed the fist going for her stomach. "Nice dodge, but you're going to need to try harder than that!" Ruby let out a yelp as the other girl yanked her off her feet, swinging her into the ground before jumping back.

Ruby got up slowly before Adrienne charged at her, spinning in the air to try and deliver a kick to the side of the Red Rose's head. Ruby took a risk and grabbed on, spinning the girl around before trying to fling her out of the ring. Ruby smiled, thinking she'd won before one of Adrienne's hands touched the ground. The moment this happened, the Orange Rose seemed to split into two copies, one stationary on the ground grabbing onto the other to keep them both in the ring. The two copies glanced at each other with a grin before they stepped back into each other, forming a single copy. "H-how did you…" Ruby whimpered, ears flat against her head.

"It's my secondary Ruby, I can split my body and mind into several instances and fight from multiple angles. I'll let you in on a secret though, any damage one copy of me takes will be applied to any copy it merges with and any time a copy's destroyed or knocked unconscious, it affects me a bit." Ruby nodded quietly, filing the information away for later.

 **Citadel Spire, With Weiss and Odin**

"So, how exactly is it nobody's noticed this place yet?" Weiss asked, glancing down the chasm in the Spire. Odin hummed for a moment before responding.

"Bastion's primary defense, after the Gravity crystals, is a barrier of Shock Dust. With slight adjustments to the barrier's lattice and the climate-control lattices, it's possible to create an artificial storm around it, making it appear to anyone on the outside as nothing more than a collection of storm clouds. So long as the Bastion doesn't remain in one place for too long, nobody would notice its presence."

Weiss nodded before she spoke up. "So, the idea is that since it drifted in from Draconys, nobody would notice anything odd if it just lingered over Vale for a week or two."

"Correct. By taking advantage of an unusual condition of Draconian storms since the fall of Sanctuary, we are able to remain near Vale long enough for the situation to be resolved."

Weiss let out a sigh. "I'm not sure what'll happen to our team when the situation's over…"

Odin glanced at the girl for a moment. "You mean what the general did after Mountain Glenn." When Weiss nodded he let out a sigh. "He might simply have his _specialist_ give you all a clean bill of health to return to your normal responsibilities, or he might try to blackmail you into cooperating with him to continue being Huntresses."

Weiss turned to look at the Prefect. "Y-you don't think he'd have us kicked out of Beacon, do you?"

Odin hummed. "The exact situation is uncertain. Hopefully it wouldn't come to it, but if it did, I doubt Aurelius would take it very well, which might be enough to make the general hesitant to do anything… _If_ he had any common sense. Which reminds me, have any of you been informed of the specifics of the restrictions and surveillance?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not really, no…" Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she wandered through the tower. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see…"

 **Bastion Core, Central Arboretum with Yang, Blake, and Athena**

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Yang said before she dropped to the ground under the artificial sun overhead, letting out a sigh.

Blake looked around at the buildings around the edge, carefully meshing the exterior look of the massive chamber with the interior structures that surrounded it to make the transition look somewhat realistic. "What is this place?"

Athena hummed. "We're in the Core region's Central Arboretum, encircling the Core Region of the Citadel Spire and located under the parks near the heart of the Surface Region. It's designed to always mimic the exact time of day outside and even simulate weather when need be, regardless of the weather outside."

Yang threw her hands up in the air. "Awesome! So we can have a picnic down here in the middle of winter!"

Blake glanced at the Prefect next to her. "So there's others like this?"

Athena nodded. "There's a smaller arboretum located in every district, an Upper and Lower Arboretum above and below us, and a number of residences, particularly the Rose family's dwellings in the Rose Quarter, have smaller, private arboretums."

Blake sighed. "And here I thought the Roses didn't care about luxuries like private parks."

"I wouldn't be that harsh on them," Yang said as she sat up. "We used to have a small garden at home when Summer was alive. She liked growing flowers and other plants when she had the time and Ruby was pretty passionate about taking care of it while she was away and after she died, up until this incident with a snake. My dad freaked out and had the garden removed. It took Ruby almost a year to forgive him for that. I think that the Roses just enjoy having a small garden to help them relax and unwind, so it might just be a cultural thing with their family."

Athena nodded. "Back when the arboretums were being built, a few members of the Rose family spent decades breeding plants that could flourish in them and grow quickly enough that the interior gardens would be lush and beautiful by the time Bastion was inhabited."

"Well, I mean you can't argue with the results, right Blake? There's even a small lake in here!" Blake let out a sigh before she went to lay down next to her partner, closing her eyes. "Aw, are you going to have a _cat nap_ now?" Blake glared at Yang for a moment before rolling her eyes.

"Just shut up and let me relax…"

 **Citadel Grounds, with the Roses and Athena**

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh as she ducked under another punch from Adrienne before she received a knee to the gut. She let out a whimper before dropping to her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach. She took a deep breath to calm herself before standing up, vaguely aware of how everything looked brighter and sounded clearer as Adrienne smirked. The Orange Rose made one last charge, throwing her fist at Ruby's face as the girl spun to the side, eyes shining slightly. Before Adrienne could recover, the wolf faunus grabbed her wrist and yanked her off her feet, flinging her out of the circle. Ruby blinked in confusion, her eyes returning to normal. "W-what just happened?"

Adrienne grinned as she stood up, her eyes no longer glowing. "Wow, you weren't kidding Grandpa Auri, she'd probably awaken the powers of the Vigil within a week without any help."

Ruby went wide-eyed. "W-wait, you mean I did it?!" Adrienne nodded, causing the wolf to squeal before she tackled the other girl in a hug. "Yes! This is great, thank you so much Adrienne!"

"Don't thank her yet Ruby," Aurelius said, walking up to the two. "Being able to awaken it isn't the same as being able to enter the Vigil at will. We'll still have to focus on teaching you that, but now that you've done it once, it will speed up the process." Ruby nodded before she fell backwards, letting out a tired sigh. Sure, she hurt everywhere from the fight, but she was making progress.

 **This chapter's done. Considering how much of a difference the question in the AN at the start of the chapter will make on the writing for the next few chapters, I think it'd be a good idea if I gave people a few days to respond. The next chapter will be out in about three days, unless I get too excited to wait and continue earlier or people really want me to keep going sooner. I'm getting to the fun parts, so I'm not really looking forward to a break just yet anyways. Leave a review saying how you feel about the situation.**

 **Also, as the comment Yang made in this chapter might suggest, Tai's obsession with his daughters' safety, particularly Ruby's, has caused a bit of tension between the two in the past. As things become more serious, Tai's probably going to have issues seeing Ruby as a Huntress and warrior that's chosen to put her life on the line to stop Salem instead of as the little girl he thinks she is, which is most likely going to make things tense between them as Ruby starts to connect with Qrow as father and daughter.**


	26. Chapter 26: Frustrations and Learning

**I'm back to uploading chapters now. There's a question at the end of the chapter. Before we begin, I'd like to point out something that a few people have asked about in the last few days. Aurelius and Adrienne can have kids, but at the moment neither of them are willing to do so for various reason. In Adrienne's case, her status as an Orange Rose means she can't abandon her duties, even briefly. If she were to start a family, she'd have to split her time between helping to defeat Salem and both finding love** _ **and**_ **having a child. Simply put, she won't consider having children right now because it'd prevent her from providing direct assistance for a decent amount of time when every day counts.**

 **Aurelius, meanwhile, is unwilling to start another family both because of his sense of duty and his responsibilities. For starters, he currently can't spend more than a few days outside the Bastion or Beacon, and naturally can't search for love outside Vale, without the risk of Bastion running out of power and simply falling out of the sky. This** _ **also**_ **happens to limit his ability to fight since a large amount of his power goes toward keeping the monstrosity airborne. After the Battle of Beacon, Bastion will be in a better position to recharge from the positive energy released by the citizens of Vale (if they're happy that they survived anyways) and eventually enough people will be living in it for it to remain in the air on its own.**

 **These are practical reasons for why, but there's a few personal reasons. Specifically, I don't know who I'd pair the two of them up with. Adrienne's values as an Orange Rose mean someone like Neptune would be out of the question immediately since she despises cowardice in all its forms, for instance. Aurelius is a bit of a peculiar one since he respects both knowledge and a strong moral code. I'll leave the rest for the end of the chapter.**

 **Chapter 26: Frustrations and Learning**

 **Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office, with Team RWBY, the Roses, and Ironwood**

Ruby let out a whimper, holding Crescent Rose against her chest. "P-professor Ozpin, you can't be serious…"

Ozpin let out a frustrated sigh as he subtly glanced over his shoulder at Ironwood. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but the results of the reports and Ironwood's… _evaluation_ of the situation have led the Vale Council to believe that you may be unstable enough to pose a risk to the population of Vale. By Ironwood's suggestion, it has been decided that you shouldn't be allowed to wander without escort, and they're adamant that they don't want you to have any weapons or Dust on you outside of combat classes, the Vytal Festival Tournament, or any practice sessions approved by Ironwood."

Yang glared at the general with red eyes while Weiss let out a deep breath, frost coating the desk in front of her. Before they could respond, Aurelius spoke up. "So, is this your game, _general?_ You can't handle the thought that four girls could do what your military could not?"

Ironwood stepped forward. "I can't sit back and let a group of children risk their lives to deal with this!"

Aurelius waved his hand across the room, eyes glowing slightly. "You are _all_ children to me, general! Your argument is meaningless."

Ironwood quickly crossed his arms. "You've always been nothing more than a harmless eccentric, _Bisman_. This is no different."

Aurelius stepped around the desk, cloak dissolving into rose petals as he did so. "A harmless eccentric you say? Very well, if you think I'm not a threat then come!" He threw his arms wide, eyes glowing brightly. "Embrace the Tempest and prove just how arrogant you truly are!" A hand landed on his shoulder, causing him to blink before his cloak reformed, taking a deep breath.

"Grandpa Auri, you need to save your strength. We'll need every advantage we can get if we're going to have a chance against whatever's coming," Adrienne said as the Blue Rose stepped back.

"He's still heartless and insensitive to be doing this to someone…"

"Actually…" Ironwood took a deep breath. "The Council was insistent that Ruby be confined to a high-security holding cell on the Aurora until her mental state could be examined and her team be removed from the tournament." The other occupants of the room glanced at the general in disbelief.

"Are you telling me that _you_ convinced the Council to give her a bit of freedom after forcing all this on her?" Aurelius asked in dismay. When Ironwood nodded, he hummed before continuing, glancing at Ruby. "If this is the only way, I have two conditions." Ruby looked on in shock, but as the Blue Rose continued, she quickly understood what was going on. "First, if she's learning anything from me related to our family, your soldiers must remain outside the room. The Rose family's secrets are _ours_ and ours alone. Second, as Ruby wished to visit her mother's grave before the tournament, I would like you to approve that request before the end of the day and give the soldiers who you have escort her give her the proper space for the visit."

Ironwood nodded, letting out a sigh. "I suppose accepting those terms is a small enough security risk to allow."

Ozpin let out a sigh. _"That's a major disaster averted. I'm not sure what kind of damage Aurelius could do in his current state since I'm not sure how much he's adapted his body to his old powers."_ Ozpin glanced at the students in front of him, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Now then, since that's all taken care of, how about the four of you go get some rest. The tournament is in two days and I'm sure you all would prefer to be in peak condition for it." They all nodded quietly before Aurelius led the group into the elevator, letting out a sigh as the door closed.

Weiss spun around and glared at the man. "Why did you let him do that?! Don't you know how important all this is to Ruby?" The wolf pulled her hood over her head to hide her smile and blush. She might be used to Weiss' small praise from time to time, but having the white-haired girl outright defending her was something much rarer and more precious to her.

Aurelius hummed for a moment before responding. "I know what it means to her. That's why I gave those conditions. Ironwood might think he's smart, but I disagree with his _solution_ and the Council's decision." He glanced at the heiress with a grin. "In case you forgot, neither the Council nor Ironwood can do anything to truly enforce their terms on Ruby so long as I'm around." As they stepped out of the elevator, an Atlesian soldier walked in front of them, causing Ruby to let out a whimper.

"I'm sorry, I can't allow you to leave the tower until the wolf hands over her weapons and ammo," he said, ignoring the glares sent his way.

Ruby let out a small whine before she hesitantly handed over her knife and ammo belt, giving Crescent Rose a hug before sadly handing it to the soldier as well. "I want Crescent Rose back in perfect condition when this is over, got it?" The soldier nodded, rolling his eyes under his helmet as he walked away to the nearby armory. Ruby's ears drooped as she walked out of the building, tail low to the ground as a pair of soldiers went to follow the group. "I'm not sure how you plan to stop them from doing that…"

Aurelius smiled as he glanced at the soldier. As soon as the soldier had entered the armory, he spoke up. "It's already taken care of…" Inside the armory, the soldier didn't notice as Crescent Rose vanished from the shelf he'd placed it on before a near-perfect copy appeared in its place.

 **Aurelius' Office**

The group let out a sigh as they reached their destination, with Ruby and Weiss glancing around at the room while the soldiers stood awkwardly out in the hall. Unlike the last time the heiress had been in there, the scrolls and books were arranged neatly on the shelves, carefully organized. As they stepped in, they saw Loki sitting at the desk by the wall on the right-hand side, feet resting on it with Janus calmly walking around the shelves, occasionally picking up a text and glancing over it. As soon as Loki noticed the group, he jumped up. "Oh, _finally_ you're here! Do you know how boring it is with only Janus around? He never gets angry or annoyed! He doesn't even do _small talk_ if he can get away with it!" Aurelius took a deep breath before speaking up.

"Loki, I need you to make it seem like we're in here when we leave, understood?" The Prefect let out a frustrated sigh before dropping back into the chair, suddenly turning into an exact replica of Aurelius before copies of Team RWBY and Adrienne appeared, causing the unprepared girls to jump.

Yang walked up to her duplicate, eyes wandering it carefully to see if there were any differences before she grinned. "Wow, not bad, it's like looking in a mirror!" Much to her surprise, the copy responded.

"Thanks, I can't copy a person's semblance though, but as long as nobody makes me _Yangry_ nobody'll tell the difference." The copy and original grinned at each other before sharing a high five.

Weiss glanced at the two with a sigh before her copy spoke up. "You know, you were the hardest to figure out. You've changed so much in such a short amount of time that I had to do more than just study the reports. I'm sure you'd appreciate how much time and effort I put into this."

Weiss blinked before nodding. "I hope you _did_ use every effort to get it right, otherwise we'll have a problem."

Ruby sighed as she looked over at her own copy, trying to hide her frustration at the reminder that she didn't have her scythe with her before Aurelius put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you won't have to go without it for long." He glanced at Janus, who quickly snapped his fingers to create a rift in front of himself. As the group moved through, Aurelius cast a glance at the copy of himself sitting at the desk. "Remember Loki, none of your normal antics, you'll get to have your fun if things go wrong."

Loki waited until the rift sealed before sighing. "Oh joy, now I get to sit here and _talk to myself_ for the rest of the day. I can't wait…"

 **Bastion, Citadel Grounds**

Team RWBY glanced around at the scenery surrounding them. The massive Spire that made up the center of the Citadel was ahead of them, with a few walled-off areas for training and gardens. Before anyone could say anything, Artemis shimmered into existence in front of them, bowing slightly to Aurelius. "I trust you didn't have too much trouble, Artemis?" he asked calmly as she stood back up.

"Sadly, I doubt they would have noticed my presence even if I knocked them over. I'm not sure _how_ a group so complacent could claim to be the most powerful and skilled military force in all of Remnant…" She turned to face Ruby before pulling an object out from behind her, holding it out to the wide-eyed girl. "I believe I have something that belongs to you?" Artemis said smugly before Ruby snatched Crescent Rose out of her hand, hugging it to her chest.

Weiss blinked as she looked between the two. "H-how-"

"There's a reason I'm called the Queen of the Hunt," Artemis said. "If I couldn't retrieve a single object from the armory I wouldn't be worthy of the title anymore."

Weiss sighed before she glanced at Adrienne, a thought crossing her mind. "Aurelius, you never said how you brought Adrienne back." The group looked at Weiss for a moment before all eyes went to the two Roses in question.

Aurelius let out a sigh as he sat down, the rest of the group finding a spot on the ground to join him. "If I tell you, you each have to promise to never tell anyone outside this group or, in Ruby's case, Qrow. Do you understand?" Once the group nodded he continued. "Within the years leading up to the War of Roses, I began experimenting with the idea of binding a soul to an automaton. As time went on, it went from something as simple as a Sentinel with the memories and personality of the soul bound to it to the Avatar, a unique construct that would become a flesh and blood copy of the person whose soul is bound to it on its activation. This allows them to not only return to the living, but actually do everything they could do in life."

Yang blinked. "Sooo, Adrienne could have kids if she wanted?" The Orange Rose let out a squeak in embarrassment before responding.

"I-I could, but as a Rose I have something more important to deal with in the current situation."

Aurelius nodded. "The survival of the Rose family through natural means is a secondary concern to making sure there's even a world for future generations to grow up in."

Blake's ear twitched under the bow. "So, what, you could bring your entire family back? Does death even matter then?"

Aurelius and Adrienne let out a sigh before the Blue Rose answered. "There are specific requirements that need to be met in order for me to bring someone back. For one, I need to either have a strong connection to the person I'm trying to revive, be at their grave, or be near their body with the Avatar ready shortly after they died. Secondly, they need to be willing to return. If I try to bring back someone who had nothing to live for or turned their back on the world, I wouldn't succeed no matter what I tried. Third, the soul needs to be whole." Weiss quickly raised her hand before speaking.

"What does that even mean? How can a soul _not_ meet that condition?" Yang and Blake nodded, while Weiss noticed Ruby shudder silently.

Aurelius took a deep breath. "As terrifying as the thought is, there's actually methods to fracture and repair a person's soul, with some people being vulnerable to methods that simply don't work on others, or having an immunity to a common one. If you combine this with the fact that most of the Roses I'm aware of are buried on Draconys, it's entirely possible that the person controlling the White Fang, or at least their leader, could simply go into the Rose Garden and use one of those methods to shatter their souls before scattering their bodies so it would take too much time or too many Sentinels to undo the damage for me to be able to bring them back. It'd take a few years, but right now we don't know if we have that long, which brings us to the fourth issue."

"An Avatar is much more complex than any of the other automatons, but it's also the only one that will work for the process we're talking about. It requires a steady hand and good eye to carve the Dust matrix capable of holding a soul, let alone convert metal to flesh and bone. There can be no mistakes, even the smallest error means the entire piece you're working on needs to be scrapped and redone. If you're lucky, the process will only take about a month to do, but sometimes it can take up to a year if you can't find enough of the right materials or make a number of mistakes. In the entire time I spent working on them, I was only able to finish two Avatars."

Weiss nodded before a look of confusion crossed her face. "Why did you think an automaton could hold someone's soul? I know they use Dust to function, but that's something totally different."

Aurelius sighed. "Not quite… There's a few things you need to know about Dust as you know it." Aurelius spent the next few minutes explaining the three types of Dust to the four girls. As the explanation started with Animus Dust, the four looked on in amazement, but their responses quickly changed when Essentia came up. Ruby looked on in disgust at the thought someone could exploit the death of others to create Dust in the first place. Yang and Blake both looked down awkwardly, trying to get their minds off the source of the world's power. Weiss on the other hand…

"O-oh god…" The heiress got up, hand covering her mouth as a look of horror crossed her face. "M-my family's been profiting off of…" She looked at her team before she ran off toward the gate leading out of the Citadel.

"Weiss! Wait!" Ruby quickly got up, running after the girl before Aurelius looked at the remaining two with a sigh.

"Artemis, how about you take them somewhere so they can think in peace?" The Prefect nodded, helping the two girls up as they walked towards the Spire.

 **Bastion Central Park, with Ruby and Weiss**

"Weiss! Stop for a second!" Ruby said as she grabbed onto the heiress' arm, spinning her around and looking into her tear-filled eyes. "Weiss, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?! My family has been mining Dust since before my _grandfather_ was born! We've been digging up the remnants of a person's _life_ Ruby!" Weiss suddenly sank to her knees, arms wrapped around her waist. "My father has been profiting off the misery and suffering of the faunus since he took over the Schnee Dust Company and I always thought I could fix it, that I could make things _better_ when I took over from him. Now I have to deal with the fact that no matter what I do, my family has always profited off death without knowing it and there's nothing I can do about it." A quiet sob escaped the girl before Ruby kneeled down next to her, gently rubbing her back. "No matter what I do with my family's company, I can't salvage our reputation knowing that! I can't run it without turning into a monster…"

"That's not true Weiss," Ruby said. "You don't have to give up your morals just to fix your family's reputation. Aurelius is teaching me how to use Dust magic, which means I might be able to make Animus Dust someday, and I can use that to help you." Weiss looked up at her partner as the wolf fanus smiled. "You promised to stand by me no matter what happens, so I'm going to return the favor. I'll do everything in my power to help you run the SDC in a way you can be proud of… Even if it means I have to share some of my family's secrets with-" Ruby was interrupted as the white-haired girl wrapped her arms around her, crying slightly.

"T-thank you Ruby, you don't know what that means to me…" _"You don't know what_ you _mean to me…"_

Ruby smiled as she wrapped her arms gently around the other girl. "It's no problem Wiess, I'm happy to help." Ruby opened her mouth to say something before she closed it again. _"I want to tell her how I feel so bad, but this isn't the right time, not with her like this… Still, it's nice to have her in my arms like this, so I might as well enjoy it."_

 **Bastion Central Arboretum, with Blake and Yang**

"Well, that makes things a bit awkward, doesn't it?" Yang said, scratching the back of her neck. "I don't know how I feel about the fact our entire world runs on what was left over from Aurelius when he exploded the first time…"

"The entire world… Except for a few scattered items powered by Dust torn from relics… And one entire city…" Blake said, staring up at the artificial sky.

Yang nodded quietly before glancing over at Blake. "You know, you can take the bow off if you want." The cat glanced at her in surprise.

"Why would I do that?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Because everyone here knows you're a faunus and nobody would judge you for it maybe? I mean, come on, there must've been at least one time you've wanted to take off your bow and just be who you are without hiding it." _"…Besides, I've only seen your ears once and I thought they were cute."_

Blake looked at the blonde hesitantly before she took the bow off, holding it in her hand. "There, are you happy now?"

Yang looked at her partner, biting her lip at the sight of the cat faunus' ear twitching in annoyance. "I-I know this is probably a bit much, but… Do you think I could feel them?"

Blake blinked, a slight blush on her face. "W-what?"

"Come on, please? Ruby doesn't like when people touch her ears, I just wanna know how they feel. I promise I won't pull on them or anything like Cardin did with Velvet."

Blake took a deep breath. _"I knew I should've refused to take the bow off, now she's not going to stop until I cave…"_ She let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, but only this once and only for five seconds max, got it?"

The blonde nodded and gently ran her finger along the back of Blake's ear, causing her eyes to close. Yang's curiosity got the better of her and she ran a finger along the base of Blake's ear, gently scratching it. Yang smiled as Blake let out a sigh at the ten second mark, stopping suddenly when she heard a sound from the other girl's throat. "U-Uh, Blake?"

"Hmm?"

"D-did you just purr?" The cat's eyes popped open and she jumped away, blushing deeply. "Hey, don't be embarrassed, I think it makes you cuter!" Yang's eyes went wide before she covered her mouth as Blake looked at her in shock.

"W-wait what? Yang, I thought you were into guys?!" Blake asked. _"S-she thinks I'm cute? Really? I-I mean, I can't deny that she's attractive too, but…"_

Yang scratched the back of her neck meekly. "What can I say? I bat for both teams." Yang quickly pretended to swing a baseball bat, trying to keep her mind off her own near confession. _"Oh god, why is it that_ now's _the time I can't keep my mouth shut?!"_

Blake blinked for a moment before she spoke up. "…Remind me to never let you wash my clothes again."

 **Citadel Garden, With Ruby, Weiss, Aurelius, and Adrienne**

Ruby and Weiss watched as Aurelius kneeled in front of a rose bush, carefully examining the flowers on it before Ruby spoke up. "So… What are we going to be doing today?"

Aurelius glanced up at her before continuing. "We will be working on trying to get you to the point you can manipulate small Dust crystals to use their power on their own, without any technology. Also, we will be working on upgrading your scythe."

Ruby wrapped her arms around her weapon. "But Crescent Rose is already perfect, why would I need to upgrade it?"

Aurelius smiled as he held out his hand, a small crystal forming in his palm as Weiss and Ruby watched in awe. "Because, you still rely on ammunition for the rifle component. With this, you'll never need to worry about reloading again…" Aurelius put the crystal on the ground as he touched a rose, causing it to turn a deep blue before he cut it off the bush, holding it up to Ruby, a knowing smile on her face. "But first, I think you have someone you wanted to talk to, right?"

 **And now we're back into the swing of things. Weiss has to come to grips with the truth of Dust with Ruby's help, Yang almost blurted out that she has a crush on Blake, and, for anyone who forgot what's so special about blue roses, Ruby's scene at her mother's grave is going to be different now.**

 **Also, speaking of Summer, I'll be changing the color of her cloak in the present from white to green. This might seem odd, but if you pay attention you'll notice that, just like Aurelius and "the Blue Rose," Adrienne and "the Orange Rose" are interchangeable, as are Ruby and "the Red Rose." This is because, when only one living member of the Rose family has a cloak of a certain color, they're referred to as** _ **the**_ **rose of that color. This makes it potentially awkward that "White Rose" could refer to both Ruby's mom** _ **and**_ **the ship involving Ruby, potentially Ruby's daughter,** _ **or**_ **something else a bit more fitting depending on if I decide to take things a certain way. Green roses represent life, growth, renewal, rejuvenation of spirit, and cheerfulness, so green fits Summer's personality. She still had a white cloak before her death, which will be explained during Ruby's talk with her mother.**

 **Now then, at the beginning of the chapter I pointed out that I've been considering pairings for Aurelius and Adrienne. While the Orange Rose is one I'm having difficulty with, Aurelius has one fairly good, if devious, option that's a bit obvious:** _ **Winter**_ **. This might seem odd, but if you stop to think about it, Winter would actually be a decent match if she ever managed to unwind and become a bit less strict since she seems willing to at least try to be a good sister to Weiss despite her sense of duty. On top of this, it'd be a nice, solid punch to the gut for Jacques if** _ **both**_ **his daughters fell in love with members of the Rose family, especially if Aurelius decided to become a faunus as well. Let me put it like this, after the ending I have planned for Volume 3, I'm sure most of you are going to want me to throw every bit of misery Jacques way that I can. Regardless, if you have a suggestion for who to pair with Adrienne or want to comment on the Aurelius/Winter pairing idea, don't be afraid to leave your input in a review.**


	27. Chapter 27: Mother's Lament & Round One

**Before I start, I wanted to respond to the people that said I've written a lot in the last month. It doesn't really feel like that much to me, but I tend to use it for stress relief, so I doubt I'd notice.**

 **There may be a kinda feelsy scene in this chapter at the beginning. I guess it depends on how you want to look at it.**

 **Chapter 27: A Mother's Lament and Round One**

 **Cliffs outside Vale, with Ruby**

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh as she pulled her hood over her head, glaring at the two soldiers in front of her. "You guys won't even let me have some privacy for this?"

One of the soldiers spoke up. "I'm sorry ma'am, but our orders are that we have to stay nearby in case something happens."

Ruby had to resist the urge to snarl. _"You mean in case_ I _do something you think could be dangerous…"_ "I'm just going to visit my mom's grave. The general explicitly promised that I'd have some privacy for this, so I _know_ he gave you orders to give me _some_ space."

The first soldier looked like he was going to explode before the second one stepped forward. "Alright, look… We have to keep an eye on you, but that's it. We'll wait over by the tree line so we don't hear what you have to say, okay?"

Ruby let out a sigh and nodded, waiting for the soldiers to step back before she moved forward, a trail of rose petals drifting in the air behind her. She let out a sigh and looked down at the blue rose in her hand. _"I hope this works…"_ Ruby knelt next to the gravestone, placing the rose on top of it before she spoke up. "M-mom? Can you hear me?" the cloaked girl waited a moment before letting out a disappointed sigh. As she went to stand up, she noticed a dim light appear in front of her, spectral green petals flowing around it before starting to take on the form of a faunus.

"Ruby? Is that you?" the figure asked, shifting into the form of Summer Rose. Ruby smiled brightly.

"M-mom! I didn't think that'd work!" Ruby went to hug the figure, only to fall forward onto the ground as she went through it. The girl let out a disappointed whine before she sat up, her mother's ghost kneeling next to her.

"Ruby! Are you okay?"

The Red Rose nodded meekly, looking away. "I-I just thought I'd never really see you again… I've missed you so much." Summer smiled sadly at her daughter.

"I know how you feel my little rose bud… I've been watching you since I died and I've wished for so long that I could tell you just how proud of you I am. You're becoming a shining example of what a Rose should be instead of what we are." Ruby smiled sadly at her mother.

"I wish Tai felt the same way. Ever sense the incident during my team's mission, he's been insisting that I should just give up on being a Huntress because it's too dangerous and I'll probably never be able to get any work in Vale because of everything that's going on…" Ruby let out a frustrated sigh. "And I haven't seen Qrow since he left on his mission, so I'm not sure how he'll handle all this…"

Summer frowned, leaning back a bit to stare at the sky. "I know your father well enough to know he won't handle this very well. He might actually try to maim Ironwood again."

Ruby nodded before doing a double take. "W-wait, _again_? Qrow's tried that before?"

Summer smiled nervously. "I wouldn't say _tried_ considering Ironwood lost an arm and a leg during the fight…" Ruby paled at the thought, shuddering slightly before sighing.

"You know… He started drinking a lot after you died, I think he missed you more than I did." Summer let out a sigh.

"I'm afraid that it was always easier for him to interact with people with me around. His semblance and my secondary cancelled each other out in a way since mine causes the people around me to be more at ease and focused. Not only that, but I suppose I was the only one who really understood him…" Summer pulled her legs up, tucking her knees under her chin. "I-it's been hard watching him over the years and seeing him fall apart. There's so many times that I've wished that I could do something to help you both through all this."

Ruby looked down sadly before deciding to change the topic. "S-so mom? Why is your cloak green?" Summer ran a hand through her hair, giving Ruby a chance to look at the green tips.

"W-well, when something serious happens to a Rose, sometimes it can change what's most important to us. This can, of course, include dying. I'm sure you remember when my hair had white in the tips too. When something significant enough to change our core ideals to that of a different color of Rose happens, the color of our cloak and the tips of our hair change as well. In my case, when I died I had a chance to speak to the Roses that came before me." Summer smiled brightly, a look of awe on her face. "You wouldn't believe how beautiful the ones from before the Fall say Draconys used to be, Ruby! Endless fields of grass and flowers, massive trees that make the Emerald Forest look like saplings, snow-capped mountains, and clear, blue lakes…" Summer sighed, a frown on her face. "I-it's all gone now, but I'd like nothing more than to see it in its former glory, or at least for you and your children to see it that way."

Ruby nodded, vaguely recalling a few streaks of blue starting to appear in Aurelius' hair recently while Adrienne had let the orange streaks in her disguise drift to the tips in her normal appearance. Once she processed what her mother said, the Red Rose blushed. "U-um, I'm not too sure I'll be having kids any time soon mom, I'm sorry."

Summer let out a small giggle before she grinned at Ruby. "Is this because of Weiss?" Ruby turned a deep red and looked away, ears flat against her head. "It's okay Ruby, all that matters is that she makes you happy, right?"

Ruby smiled before she started to gush. "You wouldn't believe how amazing she is! She might seem like she only cares about her family and her reputation when you meet her, but she's so kind, caring, she has an amazing singing voice, she's funny when she wants to be, and she actually _cares_ about me as a person! She doesn't care that I'm a faunus or a Rose, she just treats me like I'm anyone else. And her smile's… She's just…" Ruby let out a sigh, a bright grin on her face.

Summer giggled. _"Oh, my little rose bud, if only you knew how Weiss felt about you… I suppose it isn't my place to say anything though, it'd ruin the moment when the two of you finally work up the courage to say something."_ "You also got to meet the Blue Rose and Adrienne too, didn't you?" Ruby went to speak up before the soldiers called out from behind them.

"M-ma'am, I'm sorry, but if we don't leave now, we won't be able to return in time for the tournament to start!" one called out, holding a scroll in his hand. Ruby let out a sigh before she stood up.

"I guess I should get going… It was good to talk to you, mom. I love you," Ruby said.

Summer got up, smiling at her daughter. "I love you too, my little rose bud. Good luck. Be careful and don't let your guard down, okay?" Ruby nodded and turned to follow the soldiers. As she stepped away, Summer faded away, a light smile on her face.

 **Earlier, on the AWS Aurora, Ironwood's Quarters**

Ironwood looked out the window, a look of dismay on his face as he listened to the soldier on the other end of his Scroll. "Are you sure you didn't take any illegal substances?"

"W-what? No, we both saw it, she's sitting there talking to a ghost in a green cloak, look!" The soldier quickly pointed the camera at Ruby. Ironwood stared at the screen blankly as he saw the ghostly green cloak next to her, causing him to sigh.

"J-just get her back here in time for the tournament…" Ironwood ran his hand down his face as he ended the call. _"I always thought Summer and her family were just crazy or operating on some outdated logic, but if Ruby's able to communicate with the dead… What if they just think differently because they know things nobody else alive does? Atlas is dedicated to science and logic, how am I supposed to deal with the arcane and supernatural forces Aurelius and his family represent?"_ Ironwood let out another sigh as he walked toward the hangar. He needed to be at the Colosseum for the start of the tournament and it wouldn't do to have this on his mind.

 **Amity Colosseum**

Ruby took a deep breath as she twirled Crescent Rose in front of her, a thin barrier of Shock Dust forming in front of her to block the incoming shots as her team moved out from behind her. Once the girl in front of her stopped to reload, Ruby dashed forward, making a graceful swing at her legs to bring the girl off her feet. Meanwhile, up above, Port and Oobleck started speaking to each other and the third occupant of the announcer booth. "It seems we have another astonishing bout ahead of us! Wouldn't you both agree?" Port asked cheerfully.

Oobleck glanced at him. "Yes, Peter, I think it's safe to say this is going to be an interesting match. Wouldn't you agree, Arthur?"

Aurelius hummed from between the two as he watched the fight in the guise of Bisman. "Perhaps, but it's going to be fairly short if this continues…" The other two watched as Weiss used her Glyphs to freeze someone in a block of ice up to their neck before Port continued.

"For those of you just joining us, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament!" he said loudly. "Broadcasting live from the Amity Colosseum!" After the introduction, Port and Oobleck started to quickly go through the rules while Aurelius watched the match. Yang hurled a fireball across the arena at someone, causing Ruby to glance in that direction cautiously before swinging her scythe, using the back of the blade to knock someone out.

"So, Professor Bisman, you recently returned from the first successful expedition to Draconys. What was it like?" Oobleck asked.

"If you really must know, Doctor, I think it's best we discuss it another time where it won't cause distress for anyone watching," Aurelius said calmly, glancing at the green-haired man. Oobleck scratched the back of his neck.

Down in the arena, Yang tried to get off the ground to help Blake, unaware of the boy pointing a rifle at her head. Ruby saw this and swung Crescent Rose to embed the blade in the ground, subtly tapping the crystal visible on the side to cause it to turn dark blue before she pulled the trigger, a burst of Frost Dust flying out and encasing the boy's legs in ice. She grinned at the blonde before she called out. "I've got your back!"

Another boy dropped down behind her. "But who's got yours?" A Gravity-laced Glyph yanked him off his feet before Weiss landed in his spot.

Ruby grinned. "My BFF!" she said happily, holding her hand up. Weiss grinned and gave her a high five before dashing off towards the boy, Ruby close behind.

 **In the stands, with Adrienne**

Adrienne smiled as she watched Ruby and Weiss work together, humming quietly. _"Fire and ice, not the best environment for a Rose at her level, but at least she's able to avoid any issues with the Burn Dust…"_

"Hello beautiful!" Adrienne looked up to see a boy with blue hair standing in front of her with a suave smile. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Adrienne hummed before shrugging. "I suppose, don't expect me to talk much though, I really wanna see this match." Neptune hummed before sitting down.

"You know, I'm taking part in the tournament too," he started casually. "Maybe you'd like to watch my fight?"

Adrienne blinked before smiling. "If you're as good as Team RWBY, then sure!" Neptune winced as he turned back to the fight as Blake clotheslined the girl with the hoverboard before kicking her clear of the ring While Yang used her gauntlets to propel her around the ice. The moment Weiss flung the boy with the staff into the one behind Yang, Neptune spoke up.

"Y-yeah, I'm not _that_ good… But I'm still pretty good, I swear!" Adrienne hummed, watching as Blake used Ruby as a springboard to fling Yang at the last three members of the opposing team before the blonde punched them into a mountain.

"I suppose it'd be both interesting and boring if everyone was as good as them…" Adrienne said before glancing at the boy next to her. "So, who are you exactly?"

"Oh, well, if you must know, I'm Neptune. Neptune Vasilias." Neptune held his hand out, smiling awkwardly as she looked at him critically.

"So, Neptune, do you flirt with every girl you meet?"

He flinched before letting his hand dropped to his side. "U-uh…"

"Just a tip, but I, like the rest of my family, don't like people who aren't dedicated or are disrespectful to others. Next time you approach someone, try to be polite and not hit on them." Neptune nodded sheepishly as Adrienne stood up, turning to walk down to congratulate team RWBY.

 **I think I'm going to cut this chapter short for now. I want to try and take my time to figure out what I'm doing from now on since we're naturally approaching the point where most of the changes are going to take place. This means I might occasionally have to either reduce the size of the chapters a bit or have more than a day between some chapters while I try to organize them. The Battle of Beacon, for instance, is one that would probably have the up to four or** _ **five**_ **chapters involved in it compared to canon's 3 episodes simply because changes to specific parts of the fight are going to be massive enough to need it.**

 **As explained last chapter, Summer's cloak color has changed to a green. As a Green Rose, Summer values life, growth, the renewal of life and energy, spiritual growth and strength, and tries to spread joy wherever she goes. Her secondary semblance, therefore, is an aura of tranquility that anyone around her that doesn't have hostile intentions towards herself or her friends, family, or allies, making it easier for them to think and react to a situation.**

 **Ironwood's starting to realize that not everything is exactly what it seems. This is going to be a recurring theme for this part of the story as he gradually finds himself in over his head more and more as time goes on.**

 **Let me know what you think of everything.**


	28. Chapter 28: Lunch and JNPR's Fight

**This is the point where things are going to start going off the rails more. It might not seem like much changes, but the first few major differences are going to be because of things that happen in this chapter.**

 **Chapter 28: Lunch and JNPR's Fight**

 **Beacon Academy, Fairgrounds**

Ruby let out a sigh as she glanced over her shoulder at the two soldiers following her team. "This is starting to get annoying… Is anyone else hungry?" Blake opened her mouth to speak when a loud rumble from her own stomach caused her to turn a bright red as Yang laughed.

"C'mon, I know a good place where we can get something to eat!" Yang said before she turned and started walking off. Blake following her as Weiss' Scroll rang.

Ruby paused and watched her partner let out a sigh before she closed her Scroll, putting it back in her pocket. "Not someone you're in the mood to talk to?" the faunus asked her partner, tail twitching to the side.

Weiss rubbed her temple before she responded. "I-it's just my father, probably calling to say I had a foot out of place or that I missed an opportunity to finish the fight sooner in his mind."

Ruby winced. "Deliberately ignoring someone that controlling is bound to have repercussions…" Weiss nodded and went to speak up when Ruby felt a hand moving along her side, causing her to spin around and check her pockets and pouch. Emerald took a step back in surprise before Ruby finished her check and glared at the girl. "First warning, _never_ try to steal anything from me," Ruby growled.

Emerald held up her hands meekly, glancing up as the soldiers stepped forward. "O-okay, sorry Ruby. I just wanted to congratulate you guys on your fight and I noticed your pouch was open…" Ruby glared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh, smiling meekly as she scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Sometimes I put things in there and forget to zip it up…" Ruby said, trying her best to sound embarrassed while Weiss looked at her oddly before rolling her eyes. The soldiers stared at each other in confusion before one shrugged.

"Probably just losing her mind or something," the blue-trimmed soldier whispered to the one next to him, which Ruby chose to ignore.

"Dolt, you really should pay more attention to what you're doing. What if you lost something?" _"I'm sure she has a good reason to lie about this…"_

"I'm sorry, Weiss! I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again, I promise!" Ruby said, putting her hands together in front of her. Weiss rolled her eyes while Yang grinned.

"So Em, how'd your team's match go?" Yang asked, causing the green-haired girl to hum quietly.

"It went… well. We're moving on to the next round, so I can't complain," Emerald said.

Yang grinned. "Nice, maybe you guys could join us for lunch to celebrate?" Ruby maintained her smile even as her ear twitched in annoyance.

"Oh, that's nice of you to offer, but my teammates are all kind of… introverted…" Emerald glanced over her shoulder at Mercury as he was examining a boot, smelling the leather. She turned back to wince. "Especially Mercury, he's just a lost cause…"

Yang winced. "Ah, I can see that…"

Emerald tried her best to look excited before she spoke up. "Yeah, but it looks like I'm moving on to the doubles round with him. What about you guys?"

Ruby quickly spoke up. "We're still deciding on it right now."

Yang blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? We already decided it's Weiss and either you or me." Ruby turned her head to cast a subtle glare at Yang, causing the girl to put a hand over her mouth.

"Well… There goes the surprise…" Ruby said dryly before Emerald spoke up.

"Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya."

Yang grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Emerald nodded. "Alright, well Mercury and I are gonna go watch some more fights. I'll talk to you guys later." She turned around and started heading back towards Mercury while Team RWBY turned around, heading toward a nearby stand.

Weiss glanced at Ruby before pulling out her Scroll, sending the girl a quick text. _So, we're working on the assumption that Cinder Fall is the girl from the CCT?_

Ruby pulled her Scroll out and sent a quick response. _Most likely. Can't prove it though…_

 _And I guess the reason you lied to Emerald was to make sure she didn't immediately suspect that you didn't trust her?_ Ruby nodded subtly after reading the text. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "I guess you _really_ didn't want Yang to say anything about who was moving on?"

Ruby's tail twitched in frustration. "Not at all…" Ruby glanced at her partner with a grin. "Well, I guess Yang's too impulsive for this if they try anything, so that leaves one option. But first, I need to send a message to someone…" Ruby quickly pulled out her Scroll and sent a quick text to Aurelius before closing it back up.

Weiss nodded with a grin. "This should be interesting…"

 **With Emerald and Mercury**

"So how are the new "friends" Emerald?" Mercury said casually.

"I hate them. I don't understand how _anyone_ could be that happy all the time?!"

Mercury glanced at her in annoyance. "Orders are orders… Did you at least get what we want?"

Emerald sighed. "Barely. It's the heiress and either the bimbo or the mutt. Red was trying to pretend they didn't know who they were going to pick to probably keep it a surprise and avoid anyone having an advantage, but blondie blurted it out. Beyond that, I have no clue."

Mercury let out a sigh, hand on his chin. "Oh, that's a tough one. If blondie moves on to the singles we can still take advantage of it without any problems. Ice Queen _might_ be an issue if she tries to use her Glyphs first thing. It's the wolf that's the major issue since it wouldn't really work out so well…"

Emerald nodded. "Cinder's not going to like this. I don't care what she says, Red's still a Rose and we can't dismiss her as a threat simply because she's a kid."

"Eh, she doesn't pay us to think though, does she? Let her deal with the issue if it needs to be taken care of."

Emerald let Mercury walk ahead of her, glaring at the back of his head. _"Of course you'd be happy that you're just being paid to fight. You probably have less brains than a mouse…"_

 **Amity Colosseum, with Aurelius, Oobleck and Port**

"Oh! A solid hit, wouldn't you agree Doctor?" Port said cheerfully while Aurelius sighed next to them. A subtle chime from his Scroll caused the Blue Rose to casually open it and glance at the message from Ruby.

 _Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black. Building J, I don't know where exactly. Almost every encounter with them is too suspicious at this point._

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh before he quickly sent a message to Ironwood's assistant on the Aurora. Ever since the general was put in charge of security, nobody could look up information about where a participant was on campus without either going through Ironwood or his assistant, or by providing proof they have a valid reason to need this information, usually family, doctor, or something similar. _"More bureaucratic nonsense… Knowing Ironwood, it's going to be a few days before he gets around to it and denies the request… Regardless, it would be wise to have a contingency plan in place."_ The Blue Rose quickly closed his Scroll and went back to the match.

 **Festival Fairgrounds, with Team RWBY**

"Oh, hey Mr. Campbell! What are you doing here running a noodle stand?" Ruby asked as her team walked up to the counter of the stand, taking a seat.

"Oh, hello Ruby. If you must know, my shop's been attacked quite a bit recently and with the Schnee Dust Company raising Dust prices as a result, well… I've had to look at another business until I'd be able to afford to repair the shop and get enough merchandise to have any hope of reopening," the old man said, causing the four girls to look away guiltily, trying not to think about recent events.

Eventually Weiss spoke up. "We'll have four bowls of your noodles if you'd be so kind."

Blake raised her hand. "Could I have some fish in mine please?"

Campbell nodded before sprinting into the small kitchen, quickly cooking noodles. After a moment he appeared again, placing a massive bowl in front of each of the girls. "There you go, so who's paying for this?"

Weiss went to hold out her family credit card before hesitating. Before Campbell could question it, she quickly drew another card and handed them both to him. "Try the SDC card first. If it doesn't work, use the other one." The man nodded and went to swipe the card as Yang chimed up.

"Wow Weiss, any reason you have two credit cards? I mean, I honestly didn't think you'd need more than one." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"If you must know, only one of them is a credit card. The other one is tied to my personal bank account, where my share of the earnings from the record sales goes. I gave him both just in case my father froze the credit card." Ruby winced.

"I _really_ hope he didn't. Mr. Campbell doesn't like when he's handed a credit card that gets declined," the Red Rose said meekly.

"Oh please, how bad could it be- AH!" Weiss jumped as her card stabbed into the table, one of the corners embedded just short of her hand. She glanced up at the man fearfully as he grumbled before swiping her bank card. After a moment, he nodded and walked back over, handing the card to the heiress.

"There you go. I hope you all enjoy," the man said with a smile, acting as if he hadn't just turned a simple hunk of plastic into a potentially deadly weapon. The four girls went to start eating when they heard Pyrrha's cheerful voice from nearby.

"Hello!" the redhead said, waving to Team RWBY as her team approached.

"Hey Pyrrha, how've you been?" Ruby said, smiling at something she noticed.

"We've been well. Congratulations on your win by the way."

The members of Team RWBY smiled as Ruby answered. "Thanks, Pyrrha, want to join us?"

JNPR nodded before they sat down, ordering as Pyrrha handed Campbell her card. "J-just make sure that card's good, he's a bit… _hostile_ towards people who hand him a card that gets declined…" Weiss said, causing JNPR to look at her. Campbell quickly placed their bowls in front of them before they could respond and the two teams quickly started eating. Once Nora finished her bowl, Ren quickly took it from in front of her.

"Reeen, c'mon!" Nora said with a frown.

"No Nora, remember last time…" Ren said placing it inside his own beside him while the energetic girl pouted.

Ruby looked up with a grin. "So, Pyrrha… When did you and Jaune start dating?" Pyrrha let out a squeak while the rest of the people looked at Ruby in surprise. "…What? Nobody else noticed them holding hands when they walked up? They've been pretty close lately too."

Pyrrha looked at her meekly before Jaune spoke up. "W-well, I decided to take her to dinner a bit after the dance and we decided to, you know… see where things go."

Yang grinned and threw her arms up. " _Finally!_ Do you know how painful it was to watch you two pretend there wasn't anything between the two of you? Congratulations, seriously."

The rest of Teams RWBY and JNPR quickly congratulated their friends and finished eating before Jaune let out a sigh. "So… I guess we should get going before we miss our own match?"

Ruby smiled as the two teams stood up. "Yeah, we're going to be watching, so good luck!" The two teams started walking back to the docks to board a transport up to the Colosseum.

 **Amity Colosseum**

Ruby winced as the two halves of the battlefield rose into position. "Forest on one side and mountains and a thunderstorm on the other… Nora has a serious advantage here if she can get up to the peak," the wolf faunus said, causing Weiss to nod.

"This will either be a quick battle or a disappointing one… Hopefully Jaune really has improved enough to pull this off," the heiress said with a sigh.

"Come on Weiss, have some faith in them. I'm sure they'll be able to take care of it," Yang said cheerfully. The heiress sighed and nodded quietly before the match started.

 **Arena, with Team JNPR**

Jaune and his team ran forward while three members of Team BRNZ moved to meet them, the last member running into the trees to get a better vantage point. As soon as the sniper was in the trees she took a shot at Ren, shattering a rock behind him. She let out a frustrated sigh and took a shot at Jaune. Just as the round hit the boy's aura, it was sent flying back in a bright flash, shattering the girl's scope and causing her to let out a panicked cry before falling out of the tree. "Retreat!" Jaune shouted, unaware that the sniper was left in a daze.

"Oh ho! It seems May Zedong has just learned the dangers of young Jaune's Redoubt semblance, wouldn't you agree, Doctor?" Port said, glancing across Aurelius at Oobleck.

"It appears so, Peter. Jaune Arc's semblance allows him to mitigate damage to his friends and use his Aura to reflect attacks back at his attacker, making fighting him with weapons meant to pierce Auras exceedingly dangerous if your own can't handle it."

Aurelius hummed quietly, glancing up as he noted the sharp drop in Jaune's Aura. "Naturally, it's a poor choice for him to use it when he doesn't absolutely need to since it requires focusing his Aura on a single point and is particularly draining. The question is, what kind of damage did it do to Ms. Zedong?"

Said sniper let out a groan, blinking a few times to ensure she hadn't lost her eye. As soon as that was done, she looked at her rifle and let out a frustrated sigh, quickly working to remove the ruined scope. "Guess I'll have to try and make do without it…" she grumbled before moving up behind a rock.

The rest of Team BRNZ moved in to attack, with Nolan smirking as he hit Ren with his cattle prod, causing the green-clad boy to fall over before Nora charged forward, swinging her hammer to try and crush the boy. He quickly dodged out of the way and jabbed Nora with the cattle prod, frowning when she didn't go down as the electric charge drained almost instantly. The orange-haired girl grinned, twitching slightly as small bolts of electricity travelled down her body. "Oh, thanks for that. Now I can _really_ have some fun!" Nora said gleefully as the boy turned to run.

Nora smiled, twirling her hammer for a moment as the electricity in her body formed a ball in front of her. She let out a maniacal laugh as she slammed into it with her hammer, sending it hurtling at Nolan before blanketing a quarter of the arena in a burst of lightning, a loud buzzer coming from the board above as the light dimmed, revealing that half the forest was reduced to ash with Nolan unconscious in the middle. "Oh, it appears Nora Valkyrie just used her Discharge semblance to frightening effect, doesn't it, Peter?"

"It seems so, Doctor! Nora must have been storing up an electric charge for quite some time to cause this much destruction. I know I wouldn't want to be in Nolan's place right now!"

Aurelius glanced at the two in annoyance. "Why am I here if the two of you are going to ignore my presence?" The other two teachers blinked and looked at him awkwardly before he let out a sigh, returning his focus to the fight.

"Nora! Get to the mountain! Ren, distract the sniper!" Jaune called out. Nora gave a quick salute while Ren let out a frustrated sigh before they both ran to take care of their parts of the plan. Jaune quickly moved to keep Brawnz Ni distracted while Pyrrha focused on Roy. May let out a frustrated sigh as she tried to fire a few shots at Ren, Pyrrha, and Jaune before turning her attention to Nora. Pyrrha's sword quickly turned into a rifle and she started shooting at the rock, causing the sniper to take cover.

"Roy! Brawnz! I could use some help!" May called out in a panic as she tried to defend herself from Pyrrha's attacks. Before her teammates could respond, Ren moved up behind her and delivered a strike to her head, knocking her to the ground as her Aura depleted.

Nora let out a laugh as lightning surged into her hammer, quickly pointing her hand at Roy before the electricity surged out of her in his direction, knocking him to the ground while Jaune slammed his shield into the shocked Brawnz, knocking him out. Roy got up weakly, dazed from the blast before Pyrrha delivered a slash across his chest, causing him to stagger as the buzzer sounded for the last time. "It would appear that all members of Team BRNZ have been eliminated by Aura depletion," Aurelius said, an amused smile on his face. "Team JNPR of Beacon has won the match!"

 **In a nearby bar**

Qrow let out a sigh as he downed another glass of whiskey while the bartender spoke up. "Those kids weren't half bad."

Qrow scoffed and sat quietly, watching the next fight, chuckling slightly at Neptune's panic at the water.

Once it ended the bartender looked at him. "Wow, now that was a match!"

Qrow scoffed again, setting his glass down. "No, that was a mess. Their team only won because the blue-haired coward got it together long enough to take advantage of the girls' one mistake."

"C'mon man, you didn't like them, the Vale kids, or anyone before them? What fight are you here for?"

Qrow smirked. "I did like Team RWBY's match, but that's kind of a given for me… But I guess I'm here for that fight," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the airship flying by outside before he put some Lien on the counter and walking out. "Oh, and be careful about the glasses, okay?"

 **Amity Colosseum**

"That concludes the matches for today. Please leave the Colosseum in a calm and orderly fashion!" Oobleck said, screaming near the end, causing Ruby to cover her wolf ears and whimper slightly.

"You know, Doctor, I think you should _really_ try drinking decaf from now on. Might save everyone else's ears if you plan to continue as an announcer," Aurelius said calmly as every started to file out before the speakers shut off. Team RWBY started to walk out before Weiss saw the elegant airship flying overhead, causing her to stop as Ruby bumped into her.

"Weiss? What's wrong? What are you looking… at…" Ruby said, glancing at the sky in confusion before looking back at the smile on Weiss' face.

"She's here! I didn't think she'd be able to come!" Weiss said before running off toward the nearest ship, Ruby following behind in confusion.

 **I'm going to cut it off here for today. Team SSSN's match isn't shown in this simply because it doesn't really change, nor does it affect what's going to happen in the story.**

 **Also, yes, Jaune and Pyrrha are currently a couple. This may or may not make things interesting later.**

 **Jaune's semblance, Redoubt, is a very appropriately named one in my opinion, getting its name from the Swiss National Redoubt that was meant to make any attempt to invade Switzerland too costly to have any real value.**

 **At this point, the Order of the Blue Rose (currently made up of Aurelius himself, Ruby, Adrienne, and the Draconian War Council) is still operating in the shadows to hunt down Cinder and her group. As the Vytal Festival Tournament continues, this will eventually start to gradually change.**

 **If you have any input, please leave a review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	29. Chapter 29: Rampage and Shadow Council

**Winter shows up in this chapter obviously, but there's going to be a few other things happening.**

 **Before I start, I'd like to thank everyone for continuing to read my story. 152 followers and 88 favorites is insane and I'm glad people like this so much.**

 **Also, I know people liked the idea of calling the powers of the Rose family's silver eyes the "Silver Hunt," but I looked back and realized that the name is too close to the name of the events that led to the near-extinction of the Rose family. As a result, I'll be updating Chapter 25 to replace all mentions of it with the new name, which at the moment will most likely just be "Vigil" and the "Hunter's Trance" will probably become the "Rose Trance" as a result. I'm posting this here so people understand** _ **where**_ **the new names come from without having to reread a chapter.**

 **Lastly, since A Simple Cup asked about my plans for the fight, I think I should remind everyone that the ending AN for Chapter 8 has an explanation about why Ruby won't fall for the same trick that Yang did. Something** _ **will**_ **happen during/after the fight though. I'm not going to say what though since it's meant to be a surprise.**

 **Chapter 29: Rampage and Shadow Council**

 **Beacon Docks, with Ruby and Weiss**

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh as she stopped next to Weiss. "Weiss, what's going on? Who's here?" Ruby glanced at the craft as it landed on the pad in front of them, watching as a white-haired woman stepped out. A quick glance at her outfit caused Ruby to realize she was a member of the Atlesian military.

Weiss glance at her briefly with a smile before answering. "I-it's Winter, my sister." Ruby blinked in surprise before Weiss shouted to the woman, causing her to turn to face the pair in mild annoyance before returning to her professional appearance. Winter ran up to her, Ruby close behind as her ear twitched in annoyance. "Winter! I'm so happy to see you!" Weiss said excitedly before looking around nervously. "I-I mean… Your presence honors us." Weiss curtsied, causing Ruby to raise an eyebrow before looking over the woman in front of them.

" _Alright, so it looks like she's an Atlesian Specialist… I know she's Weiss' sister, but I doubt she'll be this happy when she stops to think about the timing…"_

Winter glanced around, taking a step toward the pair with her hands behind her before speaking up. "Beacon… It's been a long time. The air feels… different for some reason."

Ruby glanced up at the ever-present storm clouds overhead. "Well, it _does_ feel like there's some kind of corruption in the air, but with how much energy is surrounding the Vytal Festival- gah!" Ruby fell over as Weiss roughly punched her shoulder to get her to keep quiet.

"So, what are you doing here?" Weiss asked happily.

Winter glanced around the area before answering. "Classified."

Weiss blinked before responding. "O-oh, right… Well, how long are you staying?"

Winter looked at her sister in mild annoyance. " _Classified._ "

Weiss nodded, smiling awkwardly as she tried to keep herself under control. "Of course."

Ruby got up off the ground, dusting herself off as she looked between the other two. "Well… This is nice I guess," she said, rubbing her shoulder before Weiss spoke up.

"You're going to love it here! I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas! Vale, too. The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it? I-"

"Weiss, she said she's been here before. I'm pretty sure she knows all this…" Ruby said before Winter could interrupt.

Winter raised an eyebrow before speaking up. "Indeed, and that is not why I came either. Nor did I come here to watch you fail so miserably in battle. But it appears I have no choice…"

Weiss looked at her in confusion. "But we won, didn't we?"

"Only a novice would refer to that as a victory. I counted at least three strikes missed, and you spent the majority of the battle only assisting one of your teammates when she refused to venture too close to the others." Weiss looked down sadly, causing Ruby to bite her lip in frustration before Winter turned to the robots and soldiers around them. "Leave us." The soldiers behind her took a few steps back as the ones behind Ruby and Weiss looked at each other hesitantly before walking a short distance away. Winter sighed before looking at her sister with a small smile. "How have you been?"

Weiss perked up. "Oh, splendid! Thank you for asking. I'm actually in the top rankings of my sparring class. The rest of my studies are going wonderfully too, I'm-" Weiss flinched as Winter hit her on the head.

"Silence you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking. I asked how you've _been_. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

"W-well, there's Ruby…" Weiss gestured to the girl next to her while she looked between the two sisters in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry, hearing your sister, an Atlesian Specialist, call you a boob wasn't something I expected to ever have happen…" Ruby said meekly.

Winter glanced at the wolf faunus. "So, this is the leader you wrote of… How appropriately… _underwhelming_." Ruby's ear twitched slightly before Winter continued. "Greetings, Ruby Rose. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

Ruby smiled for a moment as she put her hands behind her back. "I don't think you need to thank me. Being on the same team as someone like Weiss is an honor in itself," Ruby said, trying to respond in a way that might be acceptable, causing Weiss to blink in surprise.

Winter smirked slightly before speaking up. "I have business with the general and your headmaster. But… Seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"

Weiss perked up. "Really?"

Winter started walking toward the school, Weiss following behind. "Yes. I wish to inspect them and make sure they're up to my personal standards."

"Of course, right this way," Weiss said as Ruby spoke up behind them.

"I'll talk to you later, okay Weiss? I need to go see if Professor Bisman needs any help." Weiss glanced over her shoulder and nodded before the wolf started walking off in a different direction.

Weiss walked silently next to her sister, a subtle frown on her face. _"I know I don't see Winter all that much, but the timing seems… off for some reason."_ Weiss turned to say something to her sister when a loud clank behind them caused them to turn around. Winter glared as she watched a man roughly pulling apart one of the Atlesian Knights before he stopped, glaring at the duo.

"Hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!" Qrow said, ignoring the sudden drop in temperature.

"Seriously? Why does _everyone_ call me that?!" Weiss said, throwing her arms in the air before Qrow scoffed.

"Not you kid, I'm talking to big sis here," he said as he dropped the remains of the robot and started to walk forward. Winter glared at him, taking her hand off the hilt of her blade as she watched him. "Saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here too."

"I'm standing right before you," Winter said coldly.

Qrow blinked for a moment. "So it would seem…" _"Damn, maybe Ruby's right about my drinking…"_

"You realize you just destroyed Atlas military property?"

Qrow looked around at the wreckage he created before rolling his eyes, responding sarcastically. "Ohhh, I'm sorry. See, I mistook this for some sort of… sentient garbage."

"I don't have time for your immature games, Qrow. And even if I did, I'm certain you're the only person or thing in the area that _could_ be mistaken for sentient garbage," Winter snapped. Before Qrow could respond, Weiss spoke up.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Weiss paused as she realized this wasn't the first time she'd heard the name. "Wait, Qrow as in Ruby's _father_?"

Qrow grinned. "Aw, looks like my little petal's telling all her friends about me, isn't that sweet." Winter scoffed.

"Well, if she's your daughter that would potentially explain her… eccentricities." Weiss looked at her sister in shock.

"Geez, you Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?" Qrow growled out.

"It's in the title," Winter said, getting more annoyed by the minute.

"Well, you know what you really are? A buncha sellouts…" Qrow took a step forward. "Just like your asshole of a boss."

"I'm not sure what you think you're implying, but I've heard enough."

"Oh, I heard too. I heard ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin… And he's ruining my daughter's dream in the process. Then again, it sounds like he doesn't care about collateral damage, anyways." Weiss ran a hand through her hair before stepping forward.

"Look, now isn't the time to be talking about this, we should-"

Winter quickly pushed Weiss behind her. "Weiss, it's time for you to go before this gets out of hand."

"What?"

Qrow glanced at the heiress before he spoke up. "Listen to big sister, Weiss. She'll protect you… Just like Atlas is going to protect all of us, huh?"

Winter drew her sword, pointing it at Qrow. "If you won't hold your tongue, then I will gladly remove it for you!"

Qrow scoffed before pushing his bangs up. "Alright, come and take it then." Weiss went to stop Winter, only for the woman to sprint off, charging at Qrow before she could react.

A few moments later Ruby ran up, ears twitching as she glanced at Weiss. "What's going on? Are we under attack?"

Weiss spun to glare at her partner. "No, but your crazy father showed up and started a fight with Winter!"

Ruby's eyes went wide before she put her hands together. "Weiss, I'm soo sorry for his actions, really I am. I know he's being stupid right now, but I almost never get to see him actually fight." Ruby quickly turned to watch the fight, throwing her fist in the air. "Come on dad! Kick her butt!"

Weiss looked at Ruby in surprise before turning to the fight as well. "Teach him respect, Winter!" The two watched their relatives clash, almost blinking around the courtyard as they fought. Eventually Winter managed to strike Qrow in the head with the pommel of her sword, causing Weiss to cheer before Qrow looked at the woman with a grin, bringing his sword down on her before she jumped away, leaving a crater in the ground.

Ruby whimpered as her ears dropped, head in her hands. "Oh gods, why does he have to do this _now_? _Nox_ , the last thing I need is him destroying everything fighting an Atlesian soldier with everything that's going on…" Qrow cut down a pillar before Winter landed on top of his sword, a smug look on her face before jumping off onto the architecture, running as Qrow started opening fire on her. After a while, she pushed on the handle of her sword, causing a second blade to fly out before she jumped at Qrow, destroying a building and slamming him into the ground.

Weiss winced. "They are doing a lot of property damage, aren't they?" She watched as they continued fighting before Winter slammed her blade into the ground, a swarm of small Nevermores flying out of a Glyph and surrounding Qrow. After a few swings he sent a blast at Winter, causing her to jump back and abandon her summons.

"Weiss, what was that?" Ruby asked in confusion.

Weiss rubbed her arm nervously. "The Schnee's family semblance allows us to summon any creature we've defeated, but it's… difficult to pull off." Ruby nodded as they watched Qrow's sword start to shift, taking on the shape of a scythe. "Um, Ruby, what-"

"Qrow's the one who taught me how to fight. My Analysis might mean I could reach his level fairly quickly, but he still has an edge in experience. If he's switching over to his scythe, he's getting serious about this…" Weiss looked at her partner in shock.

" _W-wait, they've destroyed half the courtyard and her father's been holding back?"_ Weiss shuddered at the thought before a disappointed groan went through the crowd as Qrow retracted his blade, placing it on his back before subtly taunting Winter. Weiss watched as Winter surged forward, blade poised to stab into Qrow's throat.

Just before Winter could end Qrow's life, two things happened. First, she heard Ironwood behind her. "Schnee!" he roared, causing her to slow to a stop. Just as Ironwood spoke up, a wall of crystal erupted from the ground, wrapping around her blade, causing everyone to jump back in surprise.

Winter spun around, standing at attention as Ironwood walked up, a perturbed look on his face. "General Ironwood, sir!"

Ironwood quickly refocused on the woman. "What do you think you're doing?"

Winter pointed to the other side of the crystal. "He started the altercation, sir."

Qrow stepped out around the crystal, giving it a wide berth as if unsure it wouldn't entrap him as well. "That's actually not true. She attacked first."

Ironwood glanced between the two. "Is that right?" Winter looked down, ashamed before another voice spoke up.

"Does it really matter _who_ made the first strike? Half the courtyard is destroyed over what was probably a petty argument." Aurelius said, stepping up alongside Adrienne, Ozpin, and Goodwitch. He made a subtle gesture and the crystal shattered, scattering small glittering particles through the air as Winter's sword fell to the ground. "Speaking of which, remind me to never invite _either_ of you to my home. I'm afraid the damage would be… catastrophic." Ruby and Weiss shuddered at the implications of what this kind of damage could do to Bastion with it over Vale.

"Petty? Do you know what Atlas did? What they're _doing_?" Qrow said angrily.

"I'm well aware, but this is neither the time nor place for this," Aurelius said, putting his hands behind his back. Adrienne simply shook her head with a sigh, arms crossed.

"What are you even _doing_ here Qrow?" Ironwood asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, Jimmy," Qrow said accusingly.

"Now now, everyone," Ozpin said, trying to divert attention away from the argument. "There is a sanctioned fight happening in Beacon's Amphitheater and more tomorrow at the Colosseum that I can assure you have better seats… And popcorn." He took a sip from his cup as Glynda moved to break up the crowds.

Ironwood quickly fixed his tie before glancing at Winter as she retrieved her sword. "Let's go." He started walking toward Beacon's CCT Tower, Winter and the remaining Knights in tow.

Ruby and Weiss moved through the crowd before Ruby jumped at Qrow, wrapping herself around his arm. "Dad! Hi." She smiled as he lifted his arm up, putting her at eye level with him. "It's so good to see you! Did you miss me?"

Qrow shared a grin with her before responding. "Nope." He scratched her head, causing her to sigh happily as her ears flattened out, causing Weiss to smile at the two.

"Qrow!" Ozpin called out, causing Ruby to jump down. "A word, please."

Qrow leaned down and whispered into Ruby's ear. "I think I'm in trouble…"

"Well you did kind of tear up the courtyard and potentially make things harder for Ozpin and me…" Qrow sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Y-yeah, sorry kiddo… Catch ya latter, kid."

"Actually…" Aurelius glanced at the duo. "Ruby and Weiss can come along if they want." Ruby perked up before glancing at her partner, causing the heiress to roll her eyes before walking up to her. The group turned to head back to the CCT Tower.

 **Ozpin's Office**

Winter paced anxiously in front of the desk, each step precisely the same distance and making quick, sharp turns. She paused to face the elevator along with Ironwood when Aurelius stepped out, the ever-present flower quickly dissolving to reform into his cloak and his eyes and hair changing, causing Qrow and Winter to blink. "Ah, I see you've stopped pacing. I could almost sense it the entire way up." He said calmly, walking out with Adrienne behind him, pulling the hood of her cloak up.

Winter tore her eyes away from the figure to glare at Qrow. "You! What were you thinking?!"

Ironwood stepped forward. "If you were one of my men, I'd have you shot."

Qrow went to grab his flask, looking for it absently. "If I was one of your men, I'd shoot myself."

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh. "Not everyone has to _agree_ or have the same level of disciple, general." He shot a subtle glance at Winter. "A cold, efficient soldier that has to always respond the same way to a situation is just one example of creative sterility." Winter blinked, suddenly aware that _she_ was being evaluated. "One that our current situation _cannot_ tolerate." Winter flinched slightly.

Glynda let out a sigh before she spoke up. "While I wouldn't condone his behavior, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation."

"It was still entertaining though," Adrienne said cheerfully as Aurelius nodded and Ruby giggled slightly. "It's not every day you get to see two people fight with that intensity and nobody got hurt."

Winter glanced at the orange-cloaked woman before reacting to Goodwitch's statement. "He was drunk!"

"He's _always_ drunk!" Goodwitch retorted, waving at Qrow as she, Winter, Ironwood, and Ozpin glanced at the man, seeing him trying to reach over Ruby to grab his flask out of her other hand.

"Nope, I'm not letting you have it until we're done here!" Ruby said with a grin before Qrow gave up with a frustrated sigh.

Aurelius blinked. "You're _really_ going to try and get hammered _now_ when we have a serious situation to deal with?" Qrow shrugged before Ozpin let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his head.

"Qrow, why are you even here?"

"You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field," Ironwood snapped.

"Wait, you're telling me that Atlas hasn't heard of prolonged radio silence or deep cover?" Aurelius asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"It doesn't matter if they have or not," Qrow said before glancing at Ironwood. "I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy."

"General," Winter growled out, earning a scoff from Aurelius.

"Whatever. You sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you our enemy is here."

Ruby, Weiss, Aurelius, and Adrienne shared a confused look before Ironwood spoke up. "We know."

"Oh! Oh, you know! Well, thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!"

"Wait, you never told him any of this? What if it was something he needed to know in a life-or-death situation?" Aurelius asked in dismay.

"They had reason to believe he was compromised," Winter said, getting an annoyed glance from Aurelius, shrinking back at the slight glow in his eyes.

"Ironwood seems to think a large number of people are _compromised_ lately. Perhaps the issue is that Atlas isn't able to handle the situation and they don't realize it. Perhaps they view the people who _can_ deal with it as unreliable because they aren't the cold, robotic soldiers Atlas Academy trains."

"Grandpa Auri, calm down, please…" Adrienne said before Aurelius took a deep breath, his eyes returning to normal.

"I… Apologize. Recent events have been tiring for me," he said, leaning against the desk.

"Who _are_ you anyways? I was informed there was a professor by the name of Arthur Bisman teaching here that looked similar to you did earlier, but you're nothing like the reports led me to believe." Winter asked, a feeling of unease creeping into her.

Aurelius let out a sigh. "I am Arthur Bisman, but I am also much more. Here, you may refer to me as Aurelius Rose, my proper name."

"Can we please get her out of here so we can talk please?" Qrow said, pointing at Winter.

Ironwood went to speak before Aurelius answered. "Considering that 90% of the possible reasons for you wanting her here involve what we're talking about, general, I believe there'd be no harm in letting her stay and make her job a bit easier."

Qrow ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not bringing her up to speed if you seriously insist on her being here."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "We'll cover what needs to be covered here, everything else I'll write a report for her."

Ironwood nodded before glancing at Qrow. "Go on…"

"Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn. They're the one responsible for Autumn's condition," Qrow said, taking a step back.

"Who is Autumn exactly?" Winter said cautiously.

"When Qrow talks about Autumn, he's not talking about a person named Autumn," Aurelius started. "Back about two thousand, five hundred and…" He paused for a moment. "Six years ago, I think, four women helped an old, powerful hermit regain his faith in humanity. In exchange, he gifted the four of them a fragment of his power, allowing them to perform incredible feats without Dust. Whenever the current holder of one of those shards dies, it gets transferred to another person who meets certain conditions."

Qrow scoffed. "So, from what Ruby told me on the way over, you're some old immortal that died and started hopping around between bodies for the last 2000 years. That doesn't explain how you know the exact number of years it's been since this happened. What, are you the old wizard that was hiding in the woods or something?" Aurelius leaned back against the desk, not saying anything while Ruby and Adrienne shared a grin, Weiss rolling her eyes. After a moment Qrow went wide-eyed as he glanced between the four of them. "W-wait, you can't be serious, right?" Winter paled slightly at the implications.

Aurelius clapped his hands together. "Moving on… The current holder of the Autumn Maiden's powers, a girl named Amber, was attacked some time ago and a portion of her power was stolen. What this is about an infiltrator, however…" He glanced behind him at Ozpin and Ironwood, causing the general to sigh.

"During the dance prior to the Mountain Glenn Incident there was an… _issue_ where someone slipped through security and was discovered in the CCT room by Ruby and Weiss. We're not sure what they were doing, but they were driven off before they could complete their objective," Ironwood said. Aurelius tapped his fingertips against the desk before he asked a question.

"Are you saying you _know_ she didn't finish or you _assume_ she failed?" The room looked at him quietly. "Did anyone bother running a check on the mainframe to ensure nothing was tampered with? That _nothing_ in this vital structure was hacked?"

Ironwood and Ozpin looked at each other nervously before the general spoke up. "Ruby and Weiss weren't that far behind her and she had to clear out all the security in the building first. We just assumed she didn't have time to-"

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Let's _assume_ you were wrong. Let's _assume_ that, rather than attempt to hack any part of the building, they uploaded a virus to do so without them needing to be present to finish the task. Everything linked up to this structure that isn't behind its own firewall could potentially be affected and perhaps controlled remotely… Including _that_." Aurelius pointed out the window at Amity Colosseum.

Ironwood turned to look out the window before turning to face the Blue Rose, an uncertain look on his face. "The CCT Tower is protected by the most advanced firewall and antivirus software in all of Remnant. It's extremely unlikely someone could hack it or plant a virus."

Winter spoke up. "General, perhaps it would be best to take the necessary precautions and perform a proper search." Aurelius raised his eyebrow at this while Ironwood nodded.

"If you intend to do this, I'd suggest being… _discrete_ ," Aurelius said. "If the CCT Tower has been hacked and this is required for whatever plan our enemy has, they may simply drop Amity Colosseum on Vale at the first sign that they've been discovered." Winter nodded quietly before the conversation continued.

"Great, everyone in this room and the leaders of the other two academies are _supposed_ to be the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about and we can't even check important things like this," Qrow said. "We meet behind closed doors and work in the shadows to prevent this kind of thing from happening!" He glared at Ironwood. "Tell me James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discrete and helping in any meaningful way, or did you just not give a damn about how we've been doing things?!"

Ironwood sighed before he placed his Scroll on the desk, linking up with the CCT Tower's network as Aurelius, Ruby, Adrienne, and Weiss shared a collective groan. "Discrete wasn't working…" Ironwood said as a hologram of Vale and the surrounding skies appeared in the middle of the room. "I'm here because this is what was necessary."

"No, you're here because Ozpin wanted you here! He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's right in front of us!"

"And I am grateful."

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it."

"The people of Vale needed someone to protect them, someone who would act. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength."

"Our enemy doesn't care for your fleet, general," Aurelius said, causing the room to go quiet. "She is ancient, and it was her corrupting influence that brought Sanctuary to its end. She doesn't feel fear, nor does she allow those under her to feel it. Those under her are fear incarnate."

"And fear will bring the Grimm…" Ozpin said with a sigh. "A guardian is a symbol of comfort, but an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now. Everyone is asking, if this is the size of our defenses, what are we expecting to fight?"

Ironwood glanced around the room, noticing most of the people looking at him in frustration or disappointment. Winter looked away, shaken by what she was hearing. _"None of this makes sense. W-what are we dealing with exactly?"_ Before Winter could continue, Aurelius surprised everyone by speaking up.

"Ironwood's methods may not be the most… practical or elegant, but he is right about one thing." As soon as everyone looked at him, he stepped away from the desk. "The time of these shadow councils, of hiding the truth from the world, is nearing its end, whether we like it or not. Our enemy is perhaps days away from enacting their plan and working through groups like the White Fang, groups we can't track down in the remaining time we have. The Rose Hunts have put us at a severe disadvantage and we may have to consider making ourselves known."

Ironwood let out a sigh. "So, what do you suggest then?"

Aurelius glanced out the window before responding. "While the thought disgusts me, we need to continue the search for a new vessel for the Autumn Maiden's power. Whatever they have planned, finishing the job is most likely part of their plans. Other than that, we need to assume that they have all the pieces in place and start hunting for what we _can_ find and try to subvert the parts of their plan we can. We need to be quick, precise, and decisive. No fewer than three contingencies."

Ironwood sighed. "Is that what the request I received was for?"

"There's too many red flags, but we can no longer operate on the assumption that they can't retaliate instantly to any direct action we take. If they are who Ruby believes, it's safe to assume they'd only discuss their plans in their room, which is why I wanted to know _which_ room they were in."

"And if I give you that information, what do you plan to do?"

Aurelius smiled. "You aren't the only one who brought an army or elite forces like Specialist Schnee." He gestured out the window at the storm. "I'm just _far_ more skilled at hiding it. I already have a plan in mind. Once I have the information, I'll be able to put them under observation within a day."

Ironwood stared out the window and sighed before he turned toward the elevator. "I'll make sure the information is in your office by tomorrow then. Just make sure I don't regret this. Schnee, we're returning to the Aurora."

"Yes, general!" Winter said, walking back to the elevator, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she did so. Once the elevator closed Aurelius chuckled slightly.

"It's good to see that not _every_ Atlesian soldier, even their Specialists, are incapable of adapting, even if it's only a little."

 **This one just ran away from me. I have no idea how it got so long…**


	30. Chapter 30: Tea, Glyphs and Tempo

**This chapter will contain the relative events of the episodes Lessons Learned and Never Miss a Beat. While it's going to be a long one, this means we're one chapter away from a chapter I feel quite a few people have been waiting for, or perhaps dreading… Expect one, or possibly** _ **two**_ **, chapters in the next 24 hours.**

 **Chapter 30: Tea, Glyphs and Tempo**

 **AWS Aurora, with Ironwood and Winter**

"General, you can't be serious!" Winter said, a look of mild surprise on her face.

"I am, Schnee. Aurelius has refused to share anything but the bare minimum with us and we have no idea what he has planned. Our only hope is that cooperating with him puts him in a good enough mood that he'll willingly share his "contingencies" with us, or at least meet us halfway." Ironwood stood up from his desk and slowly paced the room. "I hate to admit it, but he's right about one thing. There simply isn't enough time to tackle any of the individual leads we have without tipping our hand, and if he _is_ right about Beacon's CCT Tower being compromised, we simply can't take any risks. Aurelius is the most cryptic member of his family I encountered and he was willing to allow you to take part in our meeting simply for the sake of convenience."

"Sir, with all due respect, what do the whims of one man have to do with anything?" Winter asked, hands still behind her back as she looked at Ironwood.

The general let out a sigh. "A few weeks ago, I would have said it made no difference, but I'm not so sure anymore. When Ozpin first inducted me into our group, he revealed that he's almost as ancient as Aurelius is." He glanced at the shocked Specialist before continuing. "Through some method we can barely replicate, let alone comprehend, he's able to bind his soul to another after his death to continue living on. He doesn't remember much about his history due to the strain and time constraints, but he holds a great deal of respect for Aurelius. Not only that, but…" Ironwood let out another sigh. "From what little I can gather, the vast majority of this centers around the last years of Sanctuary. Ozpin and the others don't speak about it much, but our enemy, whoever she is, must be a serious threat to fracture the internal unity of the Rose family. Any piece of information we can get could help immensely, and he honestly seems more willing to deal with people from an intellectual background."

"So, are you ordering me to converse with him and attempt to glean information he wouldn't otherwise share, sir?" Winter said, mild annoyance in her voice.

"It's not an order Winter, it's a request," Ironwood said, sitting back in his chair. "I promised that I would have the files he requested delivered to him today and you need to collect the report he wrote to get you up to speed on the situation. You have to deal with him anyways, so it doesn't hurt to see if he's in a talkative mood when you arrive."

Winter let out a sigh as she stepped forward, taking the folder Ironwood handed her. "Very well. Is there anything else, sir?"

Ironwood leaned back in his chair. "I know I called you in to do evaluations on team RWBY, but with the current situation I'd like for you to limit your scope to the team's leader, Ruby Rose." Winter raised an eyebrow before Ironwood continued. "After the… _incident_ at Mountain Glenn I was convinced she was dangerously unhinged and the Vale Council agreed with me. During the last few encounters with her, it's obvious that she's perfectly rational, even if she thinks and operates differently than the rest of us. If we want her to be able to assist, she needs a clean bill of health, mentally, to satisfy the Council. Any minor eccentricities you find should only be mentioned if you feel it should be necessary."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "And the CCT Tower, sir?"

Ironwood sighed. "We might not have time to scan every file on every computer in the building before we run out of time. As it stands, your primary priority after your meeting with Aurelius should be confirming Ruby's mental health through any method you feel necessary. Once that's handled, your secondary priority will be to assist our technicians in inspecting the major systems in the CCT Tower and the fleet. If we want to be prepared, we have to be certain there aren't any nasty surprises." Winter nodded quickly. "You're dismissed."

Winter gave a quick salute before turning to leave the room. Once she was on the dropship she let out a frustrated sigh. _"I sincerely hope that whatever information I can collect is worth the… discomfort that I'll have to deal with."_

 **Beacon Academy, Aurelius' Office**

Aurelius let out a groan as he heard someone knocking on the door. "Come in…" As he heard the door open he glanced up, blinking in surprise. "Ah, Specialist Schnee, I wasn't expecting you to arrive for the report until later today," he said calmly.

Winter let out a frustrated sigh. "Forgive me, but I'm simply following orders." She quickly handed him the folder, causing him to glace through it with a hum.

"So apparently, they actually are from Haven Academy in Mistral, it might be wise for someone to be sent to speak with Professor Lionheart to confirm this however," Aurelius hummed. "Regardless, now that I know what room they're in I can start moving forward on my end of things."

Winter sighed before she spoke up. "And what exactly do you intend to do? I doubt you could simply walk into their room and plant a listening device without someone mentioning your presence to them later that day."

Aurelius glanced up in surprise before nodding, a smirk on his face. "You are correct, but I don't plan to set foot in their room. In fact, _nobody_ will be required to go into their room as far as they know."

Winter blinked. "I'm not sure I understand." Aurelius leaned back, sighing slightly.

"I have… Well, let's just say I have a more unique method of listening in on them." Aurelius quickly opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out a relatively large folder. "Now then, this includes everything I've felt would be necessary to know in the current situation. I've also included information on our interlopers and one other individual that may be involved in this group." Winter nodded before she glanced through the folder, letting out a sigh. "Is something wrong?"

Winter closed the folder, standing in front of Aurelius' desk. "I apologize, I'm just unsure of how to handle this situation." _"How does the general expect me to even get him to say anything?"_

Aurelius nodded, clasping his hands on the table. "Understandable. Before I regained my memory, the little that Ozpin both remembered and was willing to share was… difficult to process. Perhaps there are some questions I can answer?"

Winter let out a breath. "Perhaps…" She glanced at the map on the wall behind him, roads hand-drawn between about twenty points on Draconys. _"Starting with something small and seemingly innocent might be a wise choice."_ "What was Sanctuary like before its fall? What really caused its collapse? And why is it that everything from last night is kept so secret?"

Aurelius let out a sigh before gesturing to the seat across from him. "If you really intend to start with the fall of Sanctuary, you might as well make yourself comfortable." As Winter sat down, Aurelius gestured to the pot next to him. "Would you like tea or hot chocolate? I'm afraid the only people that regularly visit me that drink coffee prefer to bring their own."

Winter nodded slowly. "Tea would be… acceptable." Aurelius gave a quiet grunt before he filled a cup and placed it in front of her. Once she had time to prepare her cup, Aurelius spoke up.

"Sanctuary was a nation that stood without any comparison, even among the various nation states that rose up between its fall and the present day. It wasn't quite a monarchy like the kingdoms before the Great War, nor was it completely democratic like the Councils that run the nations that exist today. It was a powerful, stable nation that controlled the southern half of Draconys, back when that part of the continent was covered in verdant plains and majestic forests. The only threat to the kingdom, as you might call it, was the Grimm from behind the Dragon's Talons. We tried to protect the people as best we could, adapting to new situations and ideas as they came, but sometimes it wasn't enough."

"The decline and end of Sanctuary wasn't something that anyone expected. Even back during the golden age of Sanctuary, the northern half of the continent was much the same as the southern half is now: barren, desolate, and merciless. A corruption lingered in the air wherever you went, if you were bold enough to even set foot in the badlands, that is. Eventually, we realized that the numbers of the Grimm couldn't be limitless, but that they had to be spawning somewhere on the northern part of the continent. Once we realized this, we sent out a team led by a woman by the name of Salem, the Black Rose." Aurelius sighed before taking a drink from his own tea.

Winter hesitated, suddenly getting the feeling she was walking on dangerous ground. "W-what happened?"

Aurelius glanced up at her taking a breath. "They vanished into the badlands for about a year and a half before Salem came back, alone. Back then, it wasn't uncommon for members of the Rose family to sacrifice themselves to ensure someone could return to say what went wrong, so we didn't find it odd. We mourned our lost family, as we always did, and the fact that their bodies couldn't be recovered, while our attention left Salem. The first sign of trouble was when she started speaking to our younger members, telling them about how weak Sanctuary and our family had become, how we couldn't protect anyone if we stayed on our path. A few of us tried to calm the discontent, but eventually someone made the mistake of aggressively denouncing her in the middle of one of her _debates_ … Twenty of our family paid the price and a bloody war started that led to one of the traitors managing to steal the power of two of the Maidens. Even among the traitors and Salem herself, the young girl was mad to the point she didn't care if she lived. During a battle, she tried to use every ounce of power she had stolen to destroy the entire battlefield, only for a few of her more rational comrades to put her down in a panic, and the blast turned skyward…"

He let out a sigh. "The moon is so much smaller than Remnant, but the blast could still have fractured Draconys… After seeing what half of my gifted power could do, it was decided that we would never reveal the identities of the Maidens again, in hopes that their power would never be harnessed by someone so mad and cruel… After this, I chose to hunt down Salem personally and was forced to destroy myself in an attempt to end her madness. Sadly, she survived, and when I died, many of Sanctuary's defenses were left untended by the other members of the Triumvirate. The Grimm swept south virtually unopposed, and that was the end of Sanctuary."

Winter swallowed her tea nervously, setting the cup down. "S-so, this woman that's controlling everything…"

"Is almost certainly Salem, yes," Aurelius said with a nod. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the events leading up to the Great War weren't influenced by her. The Rose Hunts that nearly wiped my family out were certainly subverted for her purposes."

Winter nodded slowly. "So, what do we do then?"

Aurelius hummed. "That depends on what happens over the course of the next few days. I suppose you go back to whatever the general wanted of you, while I go back to my reading while I have a bit of free time."

Winter frowned at the man. "We're potentially looking at a war and you're wasting time reading?" she asked in frustration.

"I'm not quite wasting time. My plan for collecting information requires _at least_ one person to be in the room, and one of the people has to be Ms. Sustrai in order for my cover story to be valid." He turned a page in his book. "Besides, I'm sure even Atlesian Specialists understand the importance of leisure time, or am I wrong?" He subtly glanced up from his book as Winter stood up.

"I feel as though you enjoy goading me."

"Not quite, I just rarely find someone this open to discussion about Sanctuary beyond its military strength or the mistakes made near the end. I do, however, disapprove of obsessive discipline. It makes people… predictable, as I said last night." He leaned back in his chair, looking Winter in the eye. "Tell me, why are you really asking me about this? You don't seem like the kind of person for idle chat, as disappointing as the thought is for a scholar." Winter blinked. "Is there something… specific you were hoping to learn?"

Winter let out a sigh. "I doubt you'd tell me anyways."

"That depends. Are you asking out of curiosity… or duty?" Winter looked at him in surprise. "You could have asked me about anything, such as what army I could possibly have or what my intentions are, yet you decide to ask something that, to you, seemed unrelated to the current situation. If you came here to question me because Ironwood asked or told you to, you would have either asked what you wanted to know immediately so you wouldn't have to spend so much time here or simply left and told him that I refused to say anything. If you decided to ask me about it simply because you were curious, then it suggests a desire to improve, and the will of someone who seeks to become something greater than themselves is far stronger than the pride or satisfaction one feels from their previous accomplishments." The woman looked down, a troubled expression on her face before she stood up, grabbing the file.

"Thank you for the… enlightening conversation," she said as she turned toward the door.

Aurelius nodded before he spoke up. "Just don't destroy any more buildings. Even Glynda gets tired of repairing the damage eventually."

Winter stopped, her grip tightening on the handle to the door. "Perhaps you should be more focused on ensuring you don't bore your students to death with your long lectures," she quipped, not noticing the amused expression on Aurelius' face.

"Ah, but then how would I punish the troublemakers then?" Aurelius shot back as the door closed, letting out a sigh as he returned to his book.

 **Beacon Grounds, with Weiss and Winter**

Winter paced quietly behind Weiss, trying to get her mind off her earlier encounter. "Now, think to your fallen foes, the ones that forced you to push yourself past who you were and become who you are now. Think of them and watch as they come to your side."

Weiss let out a frustrated growl as her Glyph faded. "I can't!"

Winter went to slap Weiss in the back of the head, but stopped and put a hand on her shoulder. "Stop doubting yourself."

"I'm trying!" Weiss said, more than a little frustrated.

Winter hummed, thinking to Aurelius' remark earlier. "Weiss, do you have something that drives you? A goal you wish to accomplish more than anything else or someone you care about?"

Weiss blinked in confusion before her mind turned to her red-cloaked teammate. "T-there is someone and something actually…"

"Would you be able to stand by and watch them suffer if you couldn't become stronger? Would you be able to accept that you failed to achieve your goal because you gave up because of your failure here?" Weiss looked at Winter in shock before growling.

"What kind of question is that?! Of course not!" Winter smiled subtly before gesturing toward the clearing.

"Then show me. Think about what you've done and what you can still do, everything you want to do, and focus!"

Weiss growled and thrust her sword forward, a glyph forming as she let her mind wander briefly to her crush and her promise to her. _"I won't let you down, Ruby…"_ She glanced up and saw a suit of armor start to form causing her to let out a gasp. As her focus lapsed it faded away before it could fully form, causing her to let out a frustrated groan. "It still doesn't work!" Winter placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her sister to look at her.

"Weiss, it's still an improvement. Now you know what to focus on until summoning comes naturally." Winter gave her a small smile. "Be proud of yourself." Weiss smiled back before Winter spoke up. "So, have you spoken to father recently?"

Weiss sighed. "No, but he's frozen my credit card, so I assume he's angry."

Winter started walking toward the docks, hands behind her. "I trust you didn't discover this in any embarrassing manner?"

"No, Ruby noticed me ignoring his call and pointed out that there would be some retaliation, so when I went to pay for lunch I made sure to give the shop owner my bank card just in case." Winter raised an eyebrow at this.

"Ruby warned you of this?"

"Yeah, she tends to do things like that. She tends to be the most level-headed member of our team. You should really see the result of our Initiation test, I honestly didn't think it was possible for the four of us to take down a Nevermore of that size without help."

"Are the Initiations recorded?" Wiess smiled.

"You're right, they are I think! Maybe after my match I can find it for you!"

"That would be… interesting to see," Winter said. "I'll be watching your fight, good luck." Weiss smiled as they stepped onto the airbus.

 **Amity Colosseum Arena**

Weiss watched as Ruby stretched slightly, eyes closed. "So, this team's from Atlas, right?" the wolf said.

"That's right, which means we're probably dealing with strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and-"

"Um, Weiss, they're team FNKI. I'd be surprised if they fit into the classic Atlas stereotype." As soon as Ruby said that a cat faunus burst by, a rainbow trail behind her before she stopped next to a boy with a trumpet.

"Hey, you're Weiss Schnee, right? The heiress," the boy said.

Weiss frowned. "I'd rather be remembered as a Huntress or singer honestly, but that's correct."

"I take it you're pretty good with Dust then."

"I mean, I do my best, but there's people better at controlling Dust than me."

"My dad was good with Dust, too. Owned a little Dust shop of his own and everything 'till your father's company ran him outta business."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry to hear that. I honestly don't agree with many of my father's practices."

"Sure, sure. You say that _now_ , but the moment you're sitting in his chair you're gonna change your tune, just you wait and see." Weiss flinched as she heard this, frowning slightly.

Ruby let out a sigh and stood up. "Maybe you should give her a chance to prove that she isn't like her father first."

The cat faunus, Neon scoffed. "Riiight, like she'd ever keep a promise she made to a faunus! Her family's greedy, they have the most boring sense of style, and her singing sucks!"

Ruby's eyes opened, a slight glow to them as the wind picked up. As the arena rose up, Ruby turned to Weiss. "You want to take Flynt while I handle the cat?"

Weiss shrugged. "Sounds fine to me, just don't cause too much damage, okay?" Ruby shrugged, unfolding Crescent Rose before placing it on her shoulder as her cloak started to move in the breeze.

"No promises…" As soon as the match started Flynt started playing a long note, causing Ruby to step in front of Weiss and start spinning her scythe around. The blast from Flynt's trumpet rammed into a barrier of Wind Dust while the two started moving forward. Neon growled and moved to slam into Ruby from the side, causing the wolf to step aside while Weiss applied a Glyph to her feet to hold her in place. Ruby made a long swipe at Neon's legs, causing her to jump over the blade before the back of the blade slammed into her side, knocking her away from Weiss and Flynt. She started casually walking over towards the cat faunus as she stood up.

Weiss started using her Glyphs to move towards Flynt until she noticed the air pressure drop. Weiss staggered forward before Flynt kicked her into the fire region of the field, walking towards her with a grin. Ruby glanced over her shoulder in concern before blocking a strike from Neon. "Oh, so the mutt can actually fight back! And here I thought you were just a lap dog!" Neon dashed off, chanting her usual "never miss a beat" as she did, causing Ruby to frown before her scythe's blade started to shimmer slightly. The wolf faunus made a slash, sending an arc of wind flying at Neon, carving through the building behind her as she jumped over it. "No way!" Neon said before charging at Ruby, trying desperately to hit the wolf as she used Crescent Rose to block each strike.

Neon growled before activating the Frost charge in her nunchucks before making another strike, freezing the bottom end of Ruby's scythe, throwing off her balance slightly before she tapped the Dust crystal imbedded in the firing chamber. The crystal turned a bright red as the temperature increased, quickly melting the ice while Ruby ducked under a swing at her head. Ruby made a slash at Neon's stomach, forcing her back.

Weiss quickly made a group of ice shards before flinging them at Flynt, waiting for him to roll forward to blast a jet of flame to melt them before using her Glyphs to surge forward and to the side. Flynt stood up and dusted his pants off. "Looks like all that money can't buy you… skill." Flynt looked around before a series of ice shards hit him from behind, causing him to spin around, splitting into four copies before blasting Weiss into a rock. As he walked over to her the copies merged back with him. "I don't how you can move so fast, Schnee, but that was a nice trick…"

"Flynt! I could use some help!" Flynt looked up as Weiss looked over her shoulder to see Ruby calmly blocking another attack, eyes glowing a bit brighter. Flynt let out a sigh before using his semblance again, getting ready to knock the wolf off balance. Weiss went wide eyed and took a deep breath before ice surged up Flynt's legs, causing him to panic slightly just as Ruby turned to use her scythe to counter Flynt's attack. Flynt growled slightly before firing off a blast at Weiss, timing it with a jet of fire so she was engulfed in flames. Ruby let out a gasp as she heard Weiss cry out as the buzzer rang out.

"Weiss!" Ruby glanced up at the scoreboard to see that her partner's Aura was completely depleted. Ruby whimpered slightly, ears drooping.

"Oh, it appears that Weiss Schnee's Aura has been completely depleted!" Port said. "It was a noble sacrifice, but one I doubt Ruby will let be in vain."

Neon broke off a piece of Burn Dust and tossed it at the ice covering Flynt's feet, causing it to let out a burst of heat and free him. "Nice job, Flynt! Now we don't have to listen to her stupid, annoying voice anymore! C'mon, let's take out dog breath before she does something-" Neon was interrupted as a blast of Burn energy slammed into Flynt, knocking him back in an explosion before the buzzer sounded. Neon whimpered and turned to face the red-cloaked girl before she stared moving, trying to keep a quick pace.

Ruby glared at the girl before pulling out her Scroll, starting Red Like Roses to try and match her opponent's tempo and calm down before exploding in a cloud of rose petals. "Never miss a beat, never miss a-ahh!" Neon flinched as Ruby materialized in front of her, taking a swing at Neon and forcing her back. The cat whimpered as each step the wolf faunus took was accompanied by a series of strikes, each one flowing into the next and putting her on the defense. Eventually Ruby let out a strike and swung low, knocking Neon's legs out from under her and delivering a strike to her stomach, slamming the girl into the ground as the buzzer sounded.

Ruby quickly folded up Crescent Rose and sprinted over to Weiss, carefully pulling her out of the heat. "W-Weiss, are you okay?" she asked, ears drooping. Weiss let out a cough, looking up at her partner with a weak smile.

"I-I won't be singing any time soon, but other than that…" Ruby frowned.

"Weiss, save your strength, okay?" The heiress nodded before speaking up.

"Did you r-really have to listen to music in the middle a fight again?" Ruby whimpered.

"I-it was the only way I could avoid running over here immediately to check on you…"

Weiss smiled weakly, her light blush hidden by soot. "You're such a dolt sometimes, you know that?"

Ruby grinned. "I don't care, just as long as you're safe." Ruby watched as Yang and Blake ran over. "Come on, let's get you checked out and then you can relax, okay?" Weiss nodded, closing her eyes to rest as her team carefully carried her out of the Arena.

 **Later that night, Cinder's Room, with Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald**

"So, it looks like the mutt's moving on to the finals," Mercury said, causing Emerald to groan.

"There's no way we can go along with the plan now. What are we going to do?" Emerald asked, causing Cinder to sigh, pulling out her Scroll after closing the files on Penny's design information.

"As much as I hate to admit it, there's only one person that could possibly know how to handle this situation…" Emerald and Mercury glanced at each other.

"Isn't that a bit… _extreme_?" Emerald asked nervously, causing Mercury to scoff.

"We don't have much of a choice," Cinder said before she held her Scroll up to her ear, listen to it ring. "Hello?"

"Ah, Cinder, to what do I owe the _pleasure_? Do you need someone else to clean up your mess or are you calling because you need help stringing that bow of yours?" the man on the other side asked.

Cinder sighed in frustration. "We… Need your help."

The man scoffed. "Of course you do. I'm honestly surprised you were able to last this long in Beacon considering your _complete_ failure to steal the Fall Maiden's powers previously."

"Doctor…" Cinder growled. "Ruby Rose has gone to the finals. You're the person with the most experience dealing with the Rose family, so you _must_ know a way we can salvage this situation."

The man on the other end hummed. "Well, I do know of someone in Vale that might be willing to help for a modest amount of Lien, and unlike you, he _won't miss a man with a scythe charging at him_. Send me the information about where and when and I'll send you a list of what he needs to do the job. Just make sure you have the right information or this will all be a waste."

Cinder frowned, trying not to crush her Scroll. "Of course, thank you for your assistance, Doctor Watts," Cinder said, hanging up as someone knocked on the door. The three occupants of the room glanced at each other before Emerald went to open it, blinking at Aurelius standing in the doorway in the form of Bisman.

"Um, Professor Bisman? What can we do for you?" Emerald asked nervously.

"Ah, Ms. Sustrai, just the person I was looking for." Emerald blinked before Aurelius continued. "Normally this is something the Atlas military would take care of, but considering your team is currently involved in the tournament, I was selected to… discuss this matter with you."

"W-what matter?" Emerald asked, squirming slightly. _"Oh god, they don't suspect anything, do they?"_

"It's been reported that you attempted to pickpocket someone in the festival grounds in the last few days. We can't condone this type of behavior from Huntsmen or Huntresses competing in the tournament, so we've been forced to give you a warning. _If_ we hear any further rumors or complaints about your team's activities, you _will_ be disqualified and forced to return to Haven _immediately_. Is that clear?" Aurelius glanced past her at the slight shimmer in the air that had climbed into the corner by the ceiling.

"C-crystal, sir…" Emerald said meekly. Aurelius nodded before stepping back.

"Very good then, I hope you all have a pleasant evening and that you continue to stay out of trouble." He turned to walk away, the occupants of the room glancing at each other in confusion after the door was closed.

"That was… weird," Emerald said.

"At least he didn't search the room. It gave me time to send the details to our… _friend_. Now we just wait for what he needs and proceed as planned."

Artemis glared down at the trio from her shrouded perch in the corner, listening carefully to the conversation as it continued. Any information she heard could be useful.

 **This chapter's done. Dr. Watts has come up a number of times already, so I'm sure there's going to be a bit of dread about next chapter since his name is tied to the plan now.**

 **The dynamic between Winter and Aurelius is, at the beginning of the chapter, that Winter isn't quite at ease about the idea of speaking to Aurelius due to the fact he's actively evaluating her and she isn't sure how to deal with it. As this chapter shows, Aurelius will have a tendency to ask her things that she doesn't know or like the immediate answer to (possibly just an annoying Rose thing) and causes her to reevaluate her way of thinking. At the end of this chapter she's starting to realize that his banter, unlike Qrow's isn't meant to be malicious or enrage her, but to get her to react and think. She won't initiate any of it, but she's perfectly fine with firing off a retort from time to time.**

 **Please tell me what you think about this chapter, as well as your feelings about how things are going.**


	31. Chapter 31: Snow's Fear, A Rose's Rage

**I just want to apologize in advance for this chapter. By its very nature it's going to be darker than the canon events. There is, however, a somewhat sweet scene at the end of the chapter.**

 **There's also going to be a bit (read: a lot) of lore changes to how the Maidens' powers move around in the first scene of the chapter.**

 **Chapter 31: Snow's Fear, a Rose's Rage**

 **Ozpin's Office, with Ozpin, Qrow, Aurelius, Adrienne, and Pyrrha**

"It comes as no surprise that your team has chosen you to move on to the final rounds in the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary," Ozpin said, looking at Pyrrha from across his desk while Qrow leaned against a pillar behind her. Aurelius stared out the window, watching a wing of Atlesian dropships fly past while Adrienne was admiring her new sword.

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates," Pyrrha said, causing Qrow to scoff.

"Personally, I think it's the other way around," Qrow said. Pyrrha turned to look at the man.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced," she said.

Ozpin spoke up. "Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine." Pyrrha gestured to Adrienne. "Ah, yes, I suppose you haven't met Adrienne either. She's… an old friend that recently returned to us." Adrienne smiled before Pyrrha spoke up.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking… Why have you called me here?"

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin said, waiting for her to sit down before speaking up. "Tell me, do you remember any fairy tales from your childhood?"

Pyrrha nodded, a confused frown on her face. "Yes, but I don't understand what that has to do with anything…"

"You will understand in due time. Tell me, do you remember the story of the seasons?" Ozpin said, causing Aurelius to glance over his shoulder.

"Of course! The story of the old wizard and the four maidens that he granted incredible powers in exchange for their kindness and a promise to help others whenever they could. My mother loves that story."

"Would you believe me if I said I could remember when the story was first told?"

Pyrrha smiled, a small chuckle leaving her. "You're not _that_ old, professor."

Aurelius spoke up, not turning to look at her. "Would you believe us if we said the story was true?" Pyrrha blinked in surprise as he turned around, pacing the room. "What if we told you the four Maidens were real, and that their powers were not just the thing of bedtime stories?"

"You mean like a semblance?" Pyrrha asked, glancing between Aurelius and Ozpin.

"Like magic," Ozpin corrected, causing Pyrrha to stammer for a moment before Qrow spoke up.

"Yeah, first time hearing it's pretty crazy…"

"Y-you're serious?" Pyrrha asked nervously.

Ozpin tapped his can against the floor. "Do I look like I'm joking Ms. Nikos? We can even prove it to you. Not only is one of the Maidens here, at Beacon, right now, but the wizard himself stands in this very room." Aurelius stopped, cloak forming around him before he glanced at Pyrrha, silver eyes shining briefly as Adrienne joined him, her own cloak materializing on her.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Aurelius let out a sigh. "We are telling you this because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers." Pyrrha looked at him questioningly before the two elevators dinged, the doors opening to reveal Ironwood and a slightly anxious Winter in one with Glynda, Ruby, and Weiss in the other.

"Sorry we're late," Ironwood said, fixing his tie. "But we were just ensuring that everyone knew their responsibilities during the sweep of the Tower." As everyone stepped out, Pyrrha looked around in confusion.

"What is all this? Who _are_ you?" the redhead said.

Glynda stepped forward. "You know who we are. We're still the same teachers, headmasters, and students you met when you arrived at Beacon."

"Mostly, but I doubt Blue over there expected it any more than the rest of us," Qrow said calmly.

"We are the protectors of this world," Ironwood started, before Ozpin spoke up.

"And we need your help…"

After a moment Pyrrha found herself in an elevator with Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow, and Glynda. "Where are we going?" she asked meekly, causing Ozpin to speak up.

"To the vault, under the school."

When the elevator finally stopped, Pyrrha stepped out into a large corridor, looking around anxiously as the two groups moved on ahead of her, Glynda slowing down to speak with her. "I'm sure you must have questions."

"Maybe one… or two…" Pyrrha said.

"Only two? And here I expected an endless torrent of them. Pity…" Aurelius remarked.

Ruby looked at him, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, she only just found out about this now. Give her a day or two and she'll probably have more."

Winter glanced around. "How big is this place?"

"Large enough to ensure nobody can reach our destination without a fight if they aren't supposed to be here," Ozpin said.

Pyrrha spoke up. "I still don't understand. You said I was next in line to receive the Maiden's power. What do you mean by that?"

"The Maidens have existed for thousands of years, but they aren't immortal. It's far more difficult to bestow that on someone, so I ensured that, when they die, their power and experiences would be transferred to a new host, allowing them to continue to exist and help others in some limited form."

Pyrrha looked down for a moment. "So… How does the power choose?"

"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules," Qrow growled.

"Qrow!" Glynda snarled.

"Hey, don't get mad 'cause I'm right."

"At first, the only thing that was certain was that the powers were specifically passed on to young women, but as time went on, it was discovered that the selection process was much more… intimate."

"Intimate?" Pyrrha asked.

"As we understand it now, when a Maiden dies, the one who was in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit her power."

Qrow shrugged. "Unless it's a dude or some old hag. Then the power goes to someone random and our jobs get a lot harder… Like I said, stupid and convoluted."

Winter raised her eyebrow, glancing at Aurelius. "I find it hard to believe that someone like you would create a series of rules so inefficient, Aurelius."

The Blue Rose let out a frustrated growl. "The rules are actually more straightforward than that usually and have a reason, it's just that people seem to have forgotten them. First off, the reason the powers will go to the last person their previous host thought of is to speed up the process. When I first granted them fragments of my powers, there were no real limitations. The shards would pick a random person on their host's death, and since they don't have a conscious will of their own like the rest of my power does, this could take a few years. Eventually it became clear that the powers prefer to follow the path of least resistance by picking people with close ties to their previous host, so I tweaked the rules so that the Maiden's powers would always go to whoever their host was thinking about in their last moments, then pick someone who their host was close to if they weren't thinking of anyone else within a ten-second timeframe."

"Second, the selection process isn't random if the first candidate doesn't qualify. Each of the original Maidens left a spiritual imprint on their powers, which tends to try and adjust their host's personality to better match that of the original Maiden unless their host has a strong positive tie to the previous host or a strong enough will to either resist the effect or, worse, corrupt the imprint. We found out the first part early on and realized this could lead to… difficulties when the host was randomly selected and had no connection to the previous one. The closer someone is personality-wise to the original Maiden, the less of an impact it has on them, but if someone truly twisted and evil inherits the power and can't resist the effect or imprint their own will onto it, they tend to suffer a psychotic break. When we discovered this, and the fact the power of one of the Maidens had been corrupted, I had to actually go reclaim the power and purify the imprint before bestowing the power to someone else. After that, I had to add a new rule."

"How it worked after that was, when the holder of a Maiden's power died and the next host was selected randomly, the powers would always prefer to go to someone who had a personality mostly similar to the personality of the imprint before picking someone else. This means the Winter Maiden's powers tend to go to people who are more contemplative and wise, the Spring Maiden's powers tend to go to someone with a fondness for life and nature, the Summer Maiden's power tends to pick warm and compassionate people, while the Fall Maiden's power prefers people who are content with their lot in life and charitable. The first rule overrides this, causing the powers to go to whoever their previous host was thinking of so long as they qualified under the remaining rules."

"Third, after we realized that it was possible to both corrupt the imprints and cleanse them through the same process, it was decided that we needed to limit the risks of the hosts corrupting the imprints. Most children, teens, and young adults have souls pure enough to prevent the power from corrupting them and, inversely, won't corrupt the power, so an age limit was added. A few years after that our friend Ozpin here learned the most annoying trick ever where he can merge his soul with another's on death to continue living, which we couldn't risk happening to the Maidens' powers and being permanently bound to him, so we had to work on a compromise to prevent that from happening. The only other rule is that no one person can _naturally_ hold the power of two Maidens since they tend to make someone completely unhinged."

Weiss hummed. "So, the Maidens' power is inherited by young women who don't have the power of another Maiden and was the last person its previous host was thinking of within ten seconds of dying, unless they don't fit that requirement in which case it'd go to a random person who had a personality similar to that of the original Maiden or whatever corrupted imprint was left on the power?"

Aurelius nodded. "That's correct."

Qrow scoffed. "Okay, so it's not stupid and convoluted, it's just complex and annoying."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Pyrrha asked. "Why not wait until I've graduated?"

"Honestly, we've run out of time. I don't know if you've noticed, but things are getting a lot scarier out there in the world," Qrow said before Aurelius spoke up.

"Grimm are becoming more prevalent and aggressive, groups like the White Fang and the Schnee Dust Company are increasing racial tensions between humans and faunus, and even the kingdoms are starting to get anxious, more so with the increasing failures to track down the last few perpetrators of the Rose Hunts. It's only a matter of time before this tenuous peace we've enjoyed for the last few decades comes to an end."

"You're not talking about war, are you?" Pyrrha asked. Ironwood glanced over his shoulder.

"Not a war between nations." Aurelius grunted.

" _Hopefully_ not one between nations, we still have no idea what our enemy has planned."

Winter glanced at him. "By "we" do you mean you as well?"

Aurelius sighed. "I have a few ideas, none that I can share without risk of what I say eventually getting to someone that decides they think what could potentially be happening is a great idea and they should try to replicate it."

Winter glared at him briefly before sighing as Qrow spoke up. "All you need to know right now is that one of the Maidens was attacked, and for the first time in recent history part of her power was stolen." They walked out into a large room with a machine in the center. A young woman lay in one of the pods hooked up to the machine.

Ozpin glanced at the group and gestured to the girl. "The current Fall Maiden, Amber."

Qrow glanced at Aurelius before he spoke up. "I still don't get why you can't do what you did before."

"The process isn't as easy as you would think. If she were to die in the process, there's a good chance the remainder of her power will do what's natural and try to merge back with the part that was stolen." Aurelius said before Pyrrha turned to look at the group.

"If what you say is true, why would you keep it secret?" she asked in frustration.

Aurelius sighed. "Because the last time people knew the identity of the Maidens, it went… _poorly_. As it is, the only reason _why_ I'm going along with this is because you happen to be close enough to the Fall Maiden's personality that the mad process Atlas has come up with isn't as likely to affect you as someone else."

Pyrrha swallowed nervously. "A-and that process would be…?"

Qrow took a drink from his flask before speaking up. "Basically, they took a look at Oz's body surfing bullshit and figured out how to mimic it. They'd be cramming her soul into your body and merging the two. Even Blue here isn't too sure what the hell it'd do, which I've gotta admit is more than a little scary."

Ozpin stepped forward. "Ms. Nikos, there's no guarantee this transfer will work… And there's no telling if you will be the same person if it does. I advise you to take time to think on this matter… But please understand that we need your answer before the Vytal Festival is over." Pyrrha nodded quietly before the group turned around, walking back to the elevators.

Before they stepped in, Ironwood glanced at the Blue Rose. "Aurelius… I know it's not much of an apology for my actions, but I thought you'd like to know that Ruby has been given a clean bill of health. I've already ensured that her weapons and Dust were delivered to her room and that the security detail is reassigned." Aurelius nodded subtly before stepping into the elevator, Ironwood letting out a sigh before walking into the other.

 **Colosseum Arena**

Ruby hummed as the screen displayed her and Mercury before she moved to the opposite side of the platform, waiting for everyone to file off. Once the stage rose into position, she quickly unfolded Crescent Rose and held it behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment as Mercury called out. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, fur ball."

Ruby let out a sigh. "My Vigil begins. I will not falter, lest I disgrace those who came before. I will not yield, nor will I abandon those who rely upon me. I will not hesitate, lest I be found wanting…" Ruby said before she opened her eyes, glaring at Mercury as they shone brightly, causing the boy to take a step back. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, either."

Mercury take a step back and let out a frustrated sigh. "Great… Well, it wouldn't be interesting if it was easy I guess." He quickly slipped into his fighting stance while Ruby held her scythe in front of her.

 **In the stands**

Weiss grinned, hands on the Arena wall as she waited for the match to start. "So, how do you think this is going to turn out?" Jaune asked. Yang glanced over at him, a huge grin on her face.

"What do you mean? I'm more interested in if he can even land a hit on her," Yang said cheerfully.

Ren looked at her suspiciously. "What do you mean? Ruby may be a skilled warrior, but she isn't _that_ skilled."

Weiss glanced at him. "Perhaps, but she's recently… learned quite a few things. It's possible Pyrrha might be able to get one or two strikes on her if Ruby chose to take the fight seriously, and Mercury couldn't even _touch_ Pyrrha. If he manages to hit Ruby, I'll be greatly impressed."

The members of team JNPR glanced at each other as the match started.

 **In the Arena**

Mercury charged towards Ruby, jumping into the air in an attempt to deliver a kick to her chest. Ruby hummed and sidestepped, a small trail of petals behind her before she brought the back her scythe down in an overhead swing, forcing Mercury to fire off a round to avoid being slammed into the ground. Ruby smiled before she surged forward, making a wide swing at his legs before he jumped over the blade before he tried to kick Ruby's shoulder. Ruby frowned as she let the momentum of the swing pull her to the side, taking a step back before regaining her balance, only for Mercury to make a sweeping kick at her legs. Ruby grinned as she jumped up, embedding Crescent Rose into the ground, spinning around the handle to deliver a powerful kick to the side of Mercury's head before landing back on her feet.

Ruby hummed as she quickly tapped the Dust crystal embedded in her scythe, causing it to turn white as a wind picked up. She quickly made a wide swing, sending a gust of wind at Mercury in an attempt to knock him off the stage. Ruby hummed in content as he went over the side, only to smile as he flew back up, landing on his feet. "Not bad…" she said quietly while Mercury growled.

"Alright, now you're _really_ starting to get on my nerves." He ran forward throwing a punch at Ruby's face before trying to take her legs out from under her again, ending it with a punch to her stomach that finally connected. Ruby let out a growl as she landed a few feet away from the boy before he started firing shots randomly into the air. Ruby watched as they circled around, grinning as they started to close in. Just before they struck, Ruby exploded into a cloud of rose petals swarming out of the barrage before reforming in the air above Mercury. _"Just how quick is she?"_ he thought to himself as he jumped away before her scythe rammed into the ground. He tried to fire a shot at her, only to realize the guns in his boots were out of ammo. The delay gave Ruby enough time to charge at him, making a series of strikes along his arms and legs. Ruby continued for a few steps before she jumped back, giving Mercury a chance to catch his breath as she tapped the crystal again.

Mercury glanced up in time to see the Dust crystal in the side turn yellow before he ducked out of the way of the arc of lightning Ruby sent his way, bursts of electricity arcing across the ground behind him. As he got within range of Ruby, he moved forward and roughly slammed his head against hers, causing her to stagger back in surprise. He quickly made a few quick strikes to her torso before being sent flying by a gust of wind, standing up to see Ruby glaring at him while rubbing her head. "That's kind of a cheap move, don't you think?"

Mercury shrugged. "Hey, whatever it takes to win, right?" Ruby scoffed before charging at the boy to deliver another slash. Mercury grinned as he ducked under the blade, getting ready to sweep Ruby's legs out from under her before she slammed the bottom of her weapon's handle into his head, knocking him down as the buzzer sounded.

"Oh, it seems Mercury is going to have a serious headache after that fight, don't you agree, Doctor?" Port said as Ruby held her scythe behind her, smiling at her team before bowing.

"Indeed it does, Peter. Ruby Rose is the winner of the first match!" Oobleck shouted.

Ruby let out a sigh as she folded up her scythe before walking away, eyes back to normal. "Thank you for the fight, perhaps we'll have a chance to battle again next time we meet."

Ruby heard Mercury's voice behind her. "There won't be a next time, mutt." Ruby quickly reactivated her semblances, turning to face Mercury as he jumped into the air, seemingly prepared to attack. Her hand moved to grab her weapon off her back when she paused.

" _Wait, something's not right. This isn't real, something's messing with me…"_ Ruby blinked momentarily as she used her semblance to quickly adjust, Mercury vanishing from sight. She vaguely heard a gunshot before she staggered backwards, Aura suddenly depleting. She blinked in surprise before her eyes widened. _"That was real!"_ She jumped to the side as she felt the next one tear into her shoulder, causing her to scream in pain.

 **Moments earlier, in the stands**

Yang let out a cheer while Weiss stood up. "Excellent work Ruby, that was incredible!" the heiress called out as she unintentionally ramming her fist into the barrier, only to blink as it flickered and her arm went through. The members of teams RWBY and JNPR that were in the stands looked on in shock. "W-what's going o-" A quiet gunshot rang out over the arena as Weiss saw Ruby stagger back, causing the crowd to go deathly silent. Weiss stared wide-eyed as she quickly realized what was going on. _"Oh god no, please don't tell me…"_ Weiss watched in horror as Ruby tried desperately to jump to the side before a second shot rang out. There was a scream as the wolf faunus spun, landing on her back. "RUBY!" Weiss screamed as she jumped over the wall, running over in a panic as the arena descended into chaos.

"Cut the feed! _Cut the feed!_ " Port shouted desperately as people started running for the nearest exit. Weiss reached Ruby, creating a wall of ice between the girl and the direction the shots came from. Weiss covered her mouth in shock as she saw the gaping hole where Ruby's right shoulder was, the girl laying in a small pool of blood. Just as quickly as the panic ended, an aura settled over the arena and everything went quiet as fear and horror was replaced by worry. To Weiss, it didn't matter as she choked back a sob, dropping to her knees next to her partner.

"Ruby! Can you hear me? Say something!" Ruby looked at her, eyes unfocused.

"W-Weiss? What happened?" Weiss tried her best to hold back the tears as she pulled out a handkerchief, pressing it into the wound as she tried to stop the blood flow.

"Ruby, you've been shot!" The faunus blinked.

"I-I don't… I think…" Ruby muttered in a daze, the pain and blood loss getting to her.

"Ruby! Stay with me, please! Don't wander off right now!" Weiss was starting to panic when she heard someone run up, dropping next to her before she heard Aurelius' voice.

"Weiss, let me see it," he said, subtle rage hidden in his voice. Weiss let go hesitantly, hands trembling as Aurelius pulled the now red fabric off Ruby's shoulder before he growled. " _Umbra_ , I hope Ironwood's men find the person responsible before I do…"

"Can you do anything?" Weiss asked with a tremble in her voice. She looked up and was surprised to see a group of Atlesian soldiers surrounding them, Winter looking at the pair worriedly as she helped stand guard. Aurelius quickly pulled out his ever-present Dust crystal before holding it over Ruby's shoulder.

"Ruby, this is going to hurt. I need you to stay strong, okay?" Ruby nodded absently before Aurelius pressed the crystal to the side of the hole. Ruby let out a scream as a pulse of energy left the crystal, the shards of bone slowly being pulled back into place before reforming. Muscles and tendons regrew before the skin stitched itself up. After what felt like an eternity of pain, Ruby blacked out.

"Ruby?" Weiss said fearfully as Aurelius put a finger to the wolf fanus' neck.

"Her heart is still beating and she's breathing."

"So she's fine?" Weiss asked hopefully before Aurelius sighed.

"Not quite. Using Dust to mend wounds is always difficult. There's a chance that she'll have to deal with a sort of phantom pain, random surges of discomfort or even agony in her shoulder for any length of time from a few weeks to several years…" Weiss took a deep breath to calm herself. "Regardless, we need to get her to the Clinic in Beacon to make sure sue hasn't lost too much blood and I think you should get cleaned up."

Weiss was going to ask what he meant when she realized something, a look of fear crossing her face. "Ruby stepped to the left… I-if she hadn't moved…"

"Don't worry about that right now, Weiss!" Winter called out. "Just stay with Ruby and let _us_ focus on hunting down the individual responsible for this." Weiss nodded quietly as the medics arrived, placing Ruby on the stretcher before the group left, quickly getting onto a transport as the rest of team RWBY and team JNPR arrived.

 **Cinder's Room**

Mercury laughed to himself. "Did you see how much everyone panicked? I mean, I know she _almost_ managed to get out of it unscathed, but it was still amazing!"

Emerald growled. "You think _that_ is something to be proud of? Nobody ever told me we'd be doing anything like that!" Emerald glared at Cinder, a look of betrayal on her face. "You said we'd be opening the world's eyes to the greed and corruption of the kingdoms. You _promised_ nobody would have to go hungry on the streets, stealing scraps of food from each other to survive like I did! You never said we'd be killing innocent people, even if they are annoying!"

Cinder smiled calmly. "Oh Emerald, don't worry. We're still going to do all of that. Unfortunately, the Rose family would resist no matter how noble our cause is. It's a sad truth, but they're part of the problem and it's only by removing their influence that we can have any hope of succeeding." Emerald hesitated before she sat down.

"Fine… But after this, I'm not helping you with _that_ kind of thing again, okay?" Cinder smiled.

"I understand Emerald, we'll make sure to put your skills to use in other ways… Now then, while that did generate a panic and sow some doubt due to Doctor Watts' acquaintance choosing to disguise himself as an Atlesian soldier, _something_ happened that prevented the level of negativity we needed for this to work, which means we need one more battle." Cinder pulled out her tablet, quickly rigging the next day's fight. "This should be a good one." Artemis let out a quiet growl as she looked at the screen, seeing Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina.

" _Janus, I need an exit. Now. Inform Aurelius that I have information for him."_ The air around her shimmered before she slipped into a rift.

 **Ozpin's Office, with Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda, Ironwood, Winter, Weiss, Adrienne, and Aurelius**

Aurelius let out a growl as he glared at Ironwood. "I _told_ you that something like this might happen, general! I told you and now a member of my family is suffering for it!"

"We only discovered this virus an hour ago! We've never _seen_ one like this before! The technicians say the thing was designed specifically breach our firewall and antivirus software!" Ironwood said with a look of frustration on his face.

Weiss sat in her chair quietly, staring down at her hands. Even though she'd scrubbed her hands clean, she swore she could still see the blood. _"Ruby's blood…"_

Aurelius growled before he took a deep breath. "What happened to the sniper?"

"We found him fleeing the Colosseum dressed in an Atlesian military uniform… Apparently, they managed to hack into the military database on the Aurora to add false credentials so they could slip in. He tried to resist and was killed in a firefight."

Aurelius went to say something when a rift opened next to him, causing the Ironwood, Qrow, Glynda, and Winter to draw their weapons before a figure stepped out. Winter blinked. "What is this? What is it doing here?" Winter said, getting mildly annoyed as Aurelius ignored her.

"Artemis, I assume you have a _reason_ for revealing yourself? Report."

Artemis put her hands behind her back. "Cinder and her team were discussing todays… _incident_ when Cinder remarked that the failed assassination attempt wasn't enough to complete their goals. It seems they have access to Amity Colosseum's core functions and are now subverting the randomization procedure."

Aurelius growled. "What do they have planned?"

Artemis walked over to the window, glancing out before speaking. "They seem to believe that a fight between Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina will have the desired effect."

Aurelius glanced at Ironwood. "Is there anything unique about Penny that would warrant this belief, general? Obviously they've hacked into your mainframe and know anything you do."

Ironwood let out a sigh. "Penny… Is a prototype for an artificial human being created by Dr. Polendina, the man responsible for the creation of all Atlesian military machinery in the past 30 years. He wanted his legacy to be something other than the simple Atlesian Knights, so I helped in her creation. She's the first artificial being to have an Aura."

Aurelius glanced at him suspiciously. "And _how_ exactly did you accomplish that?"

Ironwood hesitated. "When we designed the Aura transfer device we needed to make sure it worked. During the last phases of Penny's creation, Dr. Polendina realized that the circuitry and memory core were advanced enough that we could, potentially, place the soul of a person into it. Shortly after this, there was a woman under my command who was suffering from a terminal illness and was willing to take the risk. While Penny might not have her memories, she does have the skill of the woman whose soul now occupies her frame."

Aurelius hummed quietly. "So they feel that putting your prototype into a ring with a girl that can control metal will benefit them… We can actually exploit this. Loki!" A rift opened up before Loki stepped out, hands moving to his daggers.

"Yes, sir?"

Aurelius glanced over his shoulder. "We need you to replace a participant in the fights tomorrow, a Penny Polendina." Loki hummed before he quickly morphed into the form of Penny. "Ah, you already know who it is, excellent." Aurelius turned back to Ironwood. "General, I need you to do a few things for me. The first is I need you to move as many soldiers as possible to the perimeter. Make a public announcement that you've put the internal security of Vale, Beacon, and the Vytal Festival in the hands of a skilled, unaffiliated organization that will be patrolling in civilian clothes if you have to hide it. The second is I need you to actually _allow_ Loki to take Penny's place. Lastly, I want you to ensure Amity Colosseum's propulsion systems can no longer be controlled remotely and allow me to send someone to install an override into the kingdom's communications systems."

Ironwood nodded slowly. "We need someone to defend the city, who do you plan to handle this if not my soldiers?"

"Ah, general, if you've wandered around the academy or toured the city of Vale, you've already _seen_ the defensive force I have in mind." He quickly tapped Artemis' shoulder. "You just don't _know_ it's a defensive force… Which is why Cinder and the White Fang will never see it coming."

 **Beacon Academy Hospital Wing, with Ruby and Weiss**

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she sat next to the bed, looking at her teammate, leader, and crush. It had been a few hours since the meeting had ended and Ironwood had assigned a squad to protect Ruby, but Weiss was unwilling to return to the dorm room. _"It should be my job to make sure she's safe…"_ She heard a knock on the door, causing her to look up as her sister stepped in. "Oh, Winter…"

"Weiss, what are you still doing here?" Winter asked as she walked up.

Weiss let out a sigh as she looked down at her hands. "I… I can't sleep knowing she's here like this. She hasn't even awakened since it happened…"

Winter sighed before putting a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "Weiss, she will awaken when she recovers, but we all need to be ready for whatever tomorrow brings… She would want you to be prepared in case she isn't capable of fighting. Please, get some rest." Weiss nodded, letting out a sigh.

"Okay… I'll leave in a few minutes, I promise." Winter nodded before walking out of the room, leaving Weiss alone as she glanced at Ruby. "Ruby… I'll make sure to do everything I can to help protect Beacon and Vale for you, I promise…" Weiss hesitated before she took a deep breath, leaning down before placing a kiss on the wolf faunus' forehead. "Get well soon… I want to be able to tell you how I feel soon." Weiss stood up and walked out of the room, not noticing the content smile on the sleeping girl's face.

 **And this chapter sets the scene for where everything flies completely off the rails. Everyone knows what's coming, Aurelius is on the war path, Ironwood's trying to prevent relations from collapsing, and the two have to work together to stop it.**

 **Please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


	32. Chapter 32: Preparation and Comfort

**It's been a month since I first put the story up… plus a day. 126k+ words, 110 reviews, 95 favorites, and 160 followers… It's insane how far we've come in such a short time.**

 **There is an issue I've run into where Atlas seems to be literally the only Kingdom that has an almost-universally accepted adjective for their culture and people, which makes this a bit difficult for me. I was able to find a good one for Vacuo (Vacuan) and Mistral (Mistrali) but not one for Vale. Bookah was kind enough to humor my random request and provided me with Valian, which I will be using. If you have any other suggestions, please message me or leave them in a review. Until then, I'll have to use what I can find and what Bookah has suggested.**

 **There will be White Rose, Bumblebee, and Arkos scenes in this chapter.**

 **Chapter 32: Preparation and Comfort**

 **Beacon Academy, Training Facility, with Yang and Blake**

Blake let out a sigh as she watched Yang fight a pack of holographic Grimm, listening to the news broadcast on the nearby screen. "Talk of the infamous Rose Hunts has started after more than a decade following the disaster of last night's match between Ruby Rose of Beacon and Mercury Black of Haven. Valian and Atlesian authorities announced that the assassin was located and killed by a group of Atlesian and Valian Huntsmen…" Blake glanced at the screen as a picture of Qrow and Ironwood standing opposite an Atlesian soldier with a sniper rifle. "While no name has been provided, the assassin was confirmed to be an Atlesian soldier known for anti-faunus rhetoric that went missing from a base in Atlas about one week ago. General Ironwood and the Kingdom of Atlas have issued a formal apology to the Kingdome of Vale and Ruby's family, with Ironwood promising to ensure improved, mandatory semiannual psychological screenings among active Atlesian military forces in an attempt to prevent further hate crimes. General Ironwood has also stated that the Vytal Festival's Continuation has been delayed while efforts are made to determine what type of sabotage has been inflicted on Amity Colosseum's barrier systems in an attempt to ensure such an incident does not happen again."

"In other news, Ironwood has announced that a recent spike in Grimm activity has forced him to allocate more troops to protecting Vale's walls and Beacon's perimeter. In order to ensure that internal security is guaranteed, the general has revealed that an independent security force has been contracted to compensate for reduced Atlesian patrols. In light of recent events, General Ironwood has also requested that civilians do not panic, stating that they should leave security concerns to the Atlesian military and Valian Council-" Blake flinched as a fireball struck the screen, causing it to explode.

"Yang! What are you doing?" Blake shouted in dismay.

Yang glared at her with red eyes. "What am I doing? Maybe you should be asking what _we're_ doing! Ruby almost _died_ and nobody seems to think it's anything more than just some random Atlesian soldier with a gun and a screw loose!"

"Yang…"

"How do we know they weren't working for Torchwick's boss?"

Yang-"

" _Why_ the hell are we just sitting here while she's-"

"Yang!" Blake yelled, grabbing the blonde's shoulders. "Ironwood and Aurelius said they'll take care of it. I'm sure between the two of them they'll be able to do more than we could right now, especially since Ruby _still isn't awake yet_!" Yang flinched before she looked away, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I-I know, it's just… She's my _sister_ Blake. We might only be cousins biologically, but as far as I'm concerned, she's still my little sister and someone hurt her. Someone tried to _kill_ Ruby and there's nothing I could do about it! I hate this, I hate feeling so useless!" Blake let out a sigh and wrapped the blonde in a hug, catching her by surprise.

"I know how you feel Yang… I feel the same way right now and it's not the first time…" Yang let out a sob as Blake carefully brought the two of them to the ground, rubbing the blonde's back as she let out her frustrations. "Just let it all out, okay?" After a few minutes Yang took a breath and leaned back, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry Blake, I just… I just don't know what I'd do without you right now." Blake smiled before she spoke up.

"It's fine. How about we go see how she's doing? After that, if she's okay and you're up for it…" Blake took a deep breath. _"Come on, Blake, you can do this. She needs to take her mind off things right now…"_ "We can go get some lunch or something."

Yang blinked before letting out a weak laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to ask me out on a date, Blake."

The cat faunus rolled her eyes. "I'm not, but like you told me before the dance, we need to be rested for whatever comes our way and I doubt Ruby would be too happy if you got hurt because you were too angry about what happened to her to actually think straight… So, I figure since you need to relax, giving you _one_ chance to charm me wouldn't hurt, right?" Yang smiled weakly.

"Thanks Blake, you're the best right now, you know that?" Blake rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we should really check on your sister…"

 **Beacon Academy Hospital Wing, With Ruby and Weiss**

Weiss let out a tired yawn. While she had followed her sister's advice and went back to her dorm room, she hadn't been able to get much sleep. She quickly took a deep breath, trying not to think about her nightmare from the previous night as she glanced tiredly at Ruby. _"She's fine… Just relax…"_ Weiss reached forward hesitantly, grabbing Ruby's hand for a moment. She let out a quiet yawn as she started to doze off. Before she could fall asleep, she heard a groan as Ruby slowly sat up, rubbing her head slightly.

"Ugh… Where am I?" Ruby muttered as she glanced down at her hospital gown, causing Weiss' eyes to snap open.

"Ruby? Oh god, you're finally awake!" Before she could stop herself, Weiss jumped out of her chair, wrapping the faunus in a hug, causing her to go wide-eyed. "Everyone was so worried about you! W-we weren't sure if you'd…" Ruby quickly wrapped her arms around Weiss, wincing slightly as a jolt of pain went through her shoulder.

"I'm okay Weiss…" She squeezed the heiress slightly before glancing at her. "Are you okay though?" Weiss froze slightly, looking down.

" _This is it Weiss, it's now or never…"_ The heiress took a deep breath before she started, sitting back in her chair. "It's just… you've helped me learn what kind of person I want to be, Ruby. You've helped me start to become the person I think I was meant to be and you've been one of the few real friends I've had. When you got shot I… I thought I lost the greatest friend I've ever had and it scared the hell out of me." Weiss swallowed slightly before she continued. "Ruby, I-"

The door opened suddenly as a mass of blonde hair stepped through "Hellooo-oh god, Rubes!" Yang ran over and went to hug her sister before Blake grabbed her shoulder.

"Easy there Yang, Ruby's shoulder might still need to heal and your hugs aren't the most… gentle," Blake said cautiously, watching Yang deflate before she sat down next to Ruby.

Weiss was trying her best to keep a neutral face while she screamed internally. _"Damn you, Yang Xiao Long! I was so close to finally saying it!"_

"Hey, you okay pup?" Yang asked. "You really scared the crap out of us with that."

"It hurts a bit if I move it too much, but other than that I'm just a bit thirsty… What happened after I got shot?" Yang frowned, looking down before Blake spoke up.

"The entire stadium went into a panic until Aurelius did… _something_ , I don't even know if it was him or not. From what I heard, Ironwood and Qrow went hunting for the would-be assassin and found him at about the same time. There wasn't much left of the body after that, just enough to identify him I think."

Yang nodded. "Yeah, it was some soldier from Atlas that had a few screws loose. Ironwood's planning to crack down _hard_ on anti-faunus beliefs in the military now from what I heard. Based off the soldiers I've seen today, it seems like most of them agree with him on that." Blake nodded before continuing.

"I don't know what's going on, but it _sounds_ like Ironwood and the Council are trying to start an outreach campaign to help the faunus and make people aware of our plight. It seems like Ironwood genuinely wants to make sure something good comes out of this." Ruby smiled.

"I'm glad to know something good came out of it at least. What about the tournament?" Ruby asked, looking around the room. The rest of the girls glanced at each other nervously.

"Well… They've kinda postponed it until they figure out how the hell the asshole that shot you brought the barrier down. I don't think they've stopped to decide if you should continue on, _if_ it's even possible now," Yang said.

Ruby nodded slowly. "I'm not sure if the tournament's going to even be able to finish, but if it can I'm not going to let this stop me." The other girls looked at her in surprise as she grinned. "I'm going to take team RWBY all the way to the final match if I can."

Yang grinned. "That's the spirit Rubes!" She glanced over her shoulder at Blake. "Blake and I have some stuff we were going to do, I'll see you later, okay?" Ruby nodded as the two walked out of the room, turning to Weiss.

"I'm sorry about that, what were you saying?" Ruby asked, had tilted to the side.

Weiss opened her mouth to continue before she stopped, looking down. _"I-I don't think I have the courage to tell her now…"_ "I… just wanted you to know you're an inspiration for me…" Weiss let out a quiet sigh, resisting the urge to cry out in frustration.

Ruby smiled, trying to hide her disappointment. _"That's all she had to say? I thought maybe…"_ "It's no big deal Weiss, really. Listening to your music always helped get me through rough patches in my life. If I've really helped you that much, I'm happy I had the chance to return the favor…" Ruby glanced around. "Um, do you know where my clothes are? I'd really like to get out of here…"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Dolt, let me see if the doctors are going to allow you to leave first." Ruby rubbed the back of her head meekly as Weiss got up. After a few minutes, a warning not to move her arm too much, and Ruby awkwardly getting dressed while Weiss glanced out the window since neither was willing to explain their discomfort, the pair were walking out of the hospital room. Ruby let out a sigh as she pulled her cloak over her right shoulder to cover her arm, causing Weiss to look at her strangely. "What are you doing?"

Ruby glanced at her before shrugging with her good shoulder. "I figure it'd be best not to let people know I can still use my arm, even if it hurts to move. If I'm lucky, someone might think part of it was amputated or I lost the ability to use it." Weiss looked at the girl next to her in horror before Ruby quickly waved her good arm in front of her meekly. "I-it's so if Cinder and the White Fang attack they won't think I'm much of a threat!" Weiss let out a relieved sigh.

"You had me worried there, Ruby… But I will admit it might make you look a bit more… refined." Ruby grinned. "Don't smile yet, there's probably more than one reporter that wants to speak to you about what happened."

Ruby whined, ears flattening out as her tail drooped. "Oh, I guess I can't avoid that, can I?"

"Nope, you're just going to have to handle it I suppose."

Ruby let out a sigh as they stepped out of the building. "Could we get something to eat? I haven't had anything to eat since dinner yesterday…" Weiss rolled her eyes before leading Ruby over to the fairgrounds.

 **In a café in Vale, with Yang and Blake**

Yang took a sip from her coffee cup as she sat across from Blake, watching the girl stir her tea. "So, I know you said you were born outside the kingdoms, but where exactly?"

Blake looked up at the blond before speaking. "I was born in Kuo Kuana on Menagerie." Yang leaned forward.

"Really?" Blake nodded slightly causing Yang to frown. "What's it like there? I've heard some things, but you don't see many people that have been there, let alone are willing to talk about it."

Blake let out a sigh. "Except for the westernmost regions of the continent, Menagerie is mostly desert. You won't find any Grimm there usually, but that doesn't make it any easier. There's scorpions, deadly spiders, and snakes that could kill the average human, and most faunus, within as little as a half hour, which might be why you won't find Grimm anywhere. Just about the entire population is limited to a few crowded settlements like Kuo Kuana, so there's not as much living space as anyone trying to justify the events leading up to the Faunus Rights Revolution would lead you to believe. We just… Try to make do, you know?"

Yang nodded sadly. "Yeah, I think I understand. I think it sucks though. There's all this nice, lush land in the heart of Sanus that nobody's tried to settle. Plenty of space to expand, they would have had help from two of the kingdoms, and _if_ there was a city there, it'd probably sit on a nice trade route between Vale and Vacuo. If people really were thankful for the help the faunus gave during the Great War, that would have been the place to give them since Vale and Vacuo still haven't gotten around to it." Blake blinked in surprise.

"That's… actually a good point. I'm pretty sure if the faunus had been given land anywhere else in Remnant, except on Solitas, Draconys, or some random island, things could have gone better. It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this."

Yang shrugged. "It's hard not to. Even before the White Fang started causing problems, Ruby wasn't always treated well for being a faunus. I tried teaching the bullies a lesson, but they'd just go after some other kid for having to many ears or a tail. I lost count of how many teeth I knocked out before she turned eight, but I managed to at least get people to keep their opinions to themselves…"

"Then the White Fang started their attacks?" Blake asked guiltily.

Yang nodded. "It got to the point where people didn't _care_ if I'd pound them into a pulp, all I could do was sit there going through all the what-ifs. Like what if the faunus had been given central Sanus instead of Menagerie, what if they weren't _forced_ to leave their homes, what if humans actually kept their word on equal rights, what if…" Yang let out a frustrated sigh. "Then I remember that, even though what happened is terrible, some good came out of it. If it wasn't for some asshole deciding that Menagerie was a fair trade for the faunus' help in the Great War, Summer might not have met Qrow, Ruby would never be born, I might not have cared as much as I do about how fanus are treated, and…" Yang looked to the side, a small blush on her face. "I… might never had met you."

Blake looked away with a blush before Yang continued. "Don't get me wrong, I really wish the faunus didn't have to fight for equal rights. I honestly wish humanity had kept its word to the fanus."

Blake reached forward, putting a hand on Yang's shoulder with a smile. "It still means a lot that you care so much, Yang. It really does." Yang grinned. "So, what about you? Where did you grow up?"

Yang took a drink from her coffee before speaking up. "Ruby and I were raised on Patch. It's this small island off the coast from Vale. It's covered by forests and pretty peaceful… except for a massive Beowolf population. Not sure where they come from, it's just kinda… endless. You couldn't go outside alone at night without having to worry about being torn apart, unless you were someone like Ruby. Back when Uncle Qrow was teaching Ruby how to fight, she used to just wander into the woods. I swear, there were months where she must have killed hundreds of them."

Blake nodded. "She does tend to be hard to kill, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but I think that's got a lot to do with her parents and semblances on top of her spirit." Yang leaned forward. "That reminds me, you don't talk about your parents all that much. Do you talk to them at all?"

Blake looked down. "Getting in touch with them is… difficult. Menagerie doesn't have a CCT Tower of its own, I guess we weren't considered good enough to have one. It's hard to communicate with anyone in Menagerie, or for someone there to communicate with anyone in the kingdoms. On top of that… I don't think my parents would approve of my actions in the White Fang."

"I'm guessing they were never fans of the White Fang?" Yang asked before taking a sip of her coffee. Blake laughed a bit before answering.

"Quite the opposite actually. Up until about five and a half… well, almost six years ago, my dad was the leader of the White Fang. I was more or less born into it." Yang spit a bit of coffee back into her mug before she started coughing.

"For real? What's he like?" Blake sighed.

"He's a strong but kind leader. He always wanted to find a peaceful solution to everything… For a while he actually served as one of Menagerie's only real judges in his spare time, going out of his way to make sure everyone was treated equally and that justice was fair. Eventually he gained enough trust and respect chieftan of Kuo Kauna, making him the closest thing Menagerie has to an official leader. When members of the White Fang started to call for more aggressive actions, he chose to step down and leave the organization. Nobody was willing to stop him since he was loved by most of our members, so they just left him alone…"

Yang leaned forward. "But you decided to stay, right?"

"Yeah. I was still just a naïve girl that thought we were doing the right thing. I didn't want to see what my parents saw and I hurt so many people because of it. I doubt my parents would even want to look at me now…" Yang reached across the table and grabbed one of Blake's hands.

"But you regret what you've done. You understand what you did is wrong and you're trying to do the right thing. No matter what you think, I'm sure they miss you and would be proud of you if they knew that. They raised you to be an amazing person." Blake smiled, eyes watering slightly.

"Y-you think so?"

"I know it, Blake. You should try writing to them. It doesn't have to be something long and drawn out. Just say you're going to do good and help people. Tell them you love them and miss them. Just try to get back in touch with them, okay?"

Blake nodded, wiping a few tears away. "T-thank you, Yang. I needed to hear that."

Yang stood up with a grin. "Hey, that's what I'm here for. How about we get going though? We can keep talking on the way back, okay?" Blake nodded and stood up, biting her lip before she stepped forward, planting a quick kiss on Yang's cheek. The blonde stared at her in surprise, a blush on her cheeks as well as the faunus'.

Blake looked down meekly. "Consider that a thank you for, well… everything."

Yang smiled happily at Blake. "Well, if that's your way of saying thank you, I think I'm gonna have to earn it, aren't I?" Blake smiled back before she let the blonde lead her back toward Beacon.

 **Beacon Academy, Recreation Room in RWBY and JNPR's Dorm Room, with Jaune and Pyrrha**

Pyrrha let out a frustrated sigh as she sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. She glanced over as Jaune sat down next to her. She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. "Pyrrha, what's been bothering you? You've been out of it since before what happened to Ruby."

Pyrrha let out a sigh. "I-it's just… Do you believe in destiny, Jaune?"

"I… guess it depends on how you view it."

"When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape, but rather some sort of final goal you work towards your entire life."

"So… Like how I wanted to be a hero and save people?"

"Right." Pyrrha sighed. "What would you do if something came along that you never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny."

"Like what?"

"Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?"

"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense." The redhead suddenly stood up, causing Jaune to follow her.

" _None_ of it makes any sense! This isn't how things were supposed to happen! This isn't how any of it-" Jaune stepped forward, pulling Pyrrha into a kiss. Her eyes widened slightly before she leaned into the kiss, trembling slightly.

When they broke the kiss, Jaune put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Pyrrha… I need to know what's bothering you if you want me to help."

Pyrrha let out a sigh. "Jaune… I don't even know what's going on anymore. Ozpin showed me something, Bisman isn't who we think he is… I don't know what to do about _any_ of it. All I know is there's a decision in front of me where if I accept what's been placed in front of me, I could have incredible power, but it might destroy who I am. And if I don't accept it, someone far more evil than anything I've ever imagined _will_ take it instead and countless people could die."

"Why would it destroy who you are?"

"Because… Because someone very powerful is dying and they need a person close enough to her personality to take on her powers before she dies, but the power changes who they are." Jaune tightened his grip on Pyrrha.

"And… they picked you?" Pyrrha nodded. "What would it change exactly? _How_ would it change you?"

"It would change who I am, Jaune, it'd make me…" Pyrrha stopped, suddenly realizing something. "It'd make me the kind of person I already am… I-I've been so worried about the fact it _could_ change me I didn't realize they picked me because it _shouldn't_ change who I am." Pyrrha let out a weak laugh as she leaned against Jaune. "I only stopped to think about it because you said something."

"Um, glad I could help… I think?" Pyrrha smiled up at him before giving him a quick kiss.

"You've helped me more than you know Jaune. I love you so much."

"I love you too Pyrrha…" As they were getting ready to leave, a news broadcast started on the screen nearby showing a reporter in the fairgrounds.

"Earlier today, we told you about the attempt made on the life of Ruby Rose during last night's tournament match. Against expectations and in spite of serious injury, Ms. Rose has announced her intention to continue to fight in the tournament." The camera panned over to show Ruby, cloak draped over her shoulder.

"Wow, how bad is it if she has to keep it covered?" Jaune muttered, eyes wide while Pyrrha covered her mouth.

The reporter turned to look at Ruby. "Now then, Ruby, would you mind telling us exactly why you've decided to continue with the tournament?"

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Well, I'm a Rose. Backing down and abandoning something we started when we're still able to finish it isn't something we like to do."

"Aren't you afraid you might be the target of an accomplice of the shooter from last night or concerned that you won't be able to keep pace with only one arm?" Ruby's ear twitched.

"Look, I can see where this is going, so how about I save us both some time? This isn't just about the tournament. When I was a little girl, my mom was a Huntress. She was my hero in every way and I wanted to be like her, to protect people just like she did, more than anything else in the world. Even after she died, I never gave up on that dream. The Rose Hunts will always hang over me and I can't do anything to change that. I can either hide and embarrass my parents and my ancestors, or I can stand strong in spite of the constant threat. Likewise, I still have an arm I can use. I can still _fight_ , which means I can still defend others if I need to. Being a Huntress isn't about being strong and fearless. It's about defending the people of Vale and the other kingdoms, even when you're scared, hurt, or tired. If I use what happened to me as an excuse to leave the tournament, I'm not worthy to call myself a Huntress by my own standards. Are there any other questions?"

"Um, not that I can think of…" The reporter turned to the camera meekly and Pyrrha laughed.

"I get the feeling he wasn't expecting a response that dedicated."

"It doesn't look like it, does it?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha smiled.

"Come on, I think we should try to get some sleep. There's always the chance I end up having to fight tomorrow, after all."

 **Ozpin's Office, with Ozpin, Aurelius, Ironwood, and Winter**

"We've managed to isolate Amity Colosseum's propulsion and barrier controls from the remote systems and your construct, Athena, has attached the override to the CCT Tower's communication systems." Winter started, looking at Aurelius.

"All soldiers are currently ready to deploy to defend the perimeter at a moment's notice and we've isolated the virus in the Aurora's computer to a series of dummy files. Hopefully they won't notice. Do you have everything in place on your end, Aurelius?" Ironwood asked.

The Blue hummed. "Loki has already learned to replicate Penny's fighting style and Artemis' units are already deployed throughout the city with orders to begin hunting the White Fang at the first sign that something's gone wrong. No matter where they come from, we're going to have the first strike on them."

Winter glanced at Ironwood. "General, there was something I was curious about…"

Ironwood glanced at her. "Go on, Schnee."

"You said that Penny was created using the machine that you plan to use to transfer the Maiden's powers to Pyrrha Nikos, correct?" Ironwood nodded before Winter continued. "Would it be possible to create another android to repeat the process, transferring Amber's soul into it before she dies and letting Aurelius extract her power when it becomes possible?" Aurelius looked at her in surprise for a moment as Ironwood spoke up.

"Potentially, but we don't have the time to build such an android, transport it from Atlas, and prepare it for the transfer." Aurelius let out a sigh, slamming his head against the window. "Is something wrong, Aurelius?"

"I just remembered I have something that _might_ be able to serve the same purpose. An Avatar, type construct meant to have a soul implanted into it. Normally it requires the person to be dead, but it's possible it could contain Amber's soul long enough for me to activate it."

Ozpin spoke up. "I get the feeling that there's an issue with this solution."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "I… don't know exactly where it is." Winter looked at him in dismay.

"How can you lose a machine that takes you months to create so casually? You make it sound as though it's a unique design!" she said, causing him to sigh.

"I didn't consider the possibility of using the Avatar and it's been 2000 years since I made it. I brought more than you could believe with me from Draconys, the fact I haven't misplaced anything else is a miracle."

Ironwood sighed. "So, what now? Do we just wait?"

"It would appear so, general," Aurelius said. "Our enemies might be the ones who make the first move, but the board is rigged in our favor now. We wait, but I don't think we'll be waiting for long…"

 **Next chapter is Pyrrha vs Penny. I hope everyone's looking forward to it.**

 **Poor Weiss can't catch a break I'm afraid…**

 **Yang's joke about Blake asking her out on a date is actually the result of me writing that part out, realizing it sounded like she was asking Yang out, then spending about a half hour trying to decide if there was a way to make it sound like less of a date, then finally giving up and just letting it happen naturally.**

 **I wasn't sure about having the "Do you believe in destiny" line in this, but it felt like it was too important a part of the scene to be left out, so I tried to simply work around it in a way that felt natural. In this story, Pyrrha's hesitance is because she's not sure how to handle any of it, is slightly struggling with the idea that a destiny is potentially being thrust on her, even if it's one she wanted, and latching onto the comment about how agreeing to the transfer could lead to her losing a part of herself without the context around it. In this case, Jaune's normally clueless nature causes her to slow down, attempt to rationalize her reaction, and realize that it wouldn't change much about her, if anything. The kiss was mostly because I felt like the new scene would probably warrant it.**


	33. Chapter 33: Battle of Beacon Part One

**There's not much to be said about this chapter. The time has come, after all.**

 **I'd like to thank Bookah for pointing out errors in my chapters that I miss. Sometimes I get so into writing the chapters I end up missing mistakes as I go back and change things around.**

 **Jamiesboy- Yeah, I'm not going to lie, I really love writing this story when I'm in a good mood and it's an amazing stress reliever when I'm upset. It's really a win-win for everyone (as long as you actually** _ **like**_ **the story.)**

 **Just a warning to everyone. After this, the events of Volume 4 might be stretched out a bit. Everything starts to go off the rails here and the Battle of Beacon itself might go on for 4-5 chapters. It's going to be a long one.**

 **Chapter 33: Battle of Beacon: Retaliation and Resurgence**

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center/Aurelius' Office**

Janus slowly walked around the large, ring-shaped room near the top of the Tower, glancing at monitors and projections from a few Speakers. He stopped to look at one showing the Amity Colosseum Arena, looking at the lined-up students. _"Artemis, is there any sign of trouble?"_ There was a pause before he got a response.

" _We found a group of about ten White Fang hiding in an alleyway. They thought they were being smart, but they're nothing more than the first casualties of this battle."_

" _Excellent, remember, we need to weaken them as much as possible without revealing ourselves."_ Janus glanced over at the other two Prefects. "Odin, are the defensive batteries ready?"

Odin glanced over at the Imperator before speaking up. "They are all online and ready. Hopefully we won't need them." Janus nodded before looking at Athena.

"Does Aurelius have the capacity to activate the override put into the CCT Tower's communications system?"

Athena nodded. "He does. Ironwood and Ozpin are both prepared in the event we need to subvert an attempt to sow distrust between Vale and Atlas."

Janus glanced back at the monitor, looking at Penny. _"Loki, I know you're normally fond of mischief, but we need this to go over perfectly, do you understand?"_ Janus felt a frustrated sigh through the communication.

" _Fine, but only because I'm going to enjoy what comes after…"_ Janus nodded as he returned to pacing the room. Until they knew what to expect, it was his duty to coordinate the defense from Bastion. He would not fail his duties.

 **Beacon Academy, Ozpin's Office, With Ozpin, Aurelius, and Adrienne**

Ozpin looked down at the screen as Ironwood spoke up. "All of my men on the ground have been informed to stay alert and Winter is leading a small detachment that's being left on standby in the event something unexpected happens. We've also equipped a number of soldiers from each squad with flash bangs. Once the battle starts, we're going to cut all lights in areas they're likely to attack and my men will switch to using night vision goggles. Hopefully, that'll give us enough of an advantage to disrupt the White Fang's initial assault once their eyes adjust and we start using the grenades. Is Miss Nikos on board with us?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes, we've made her aware of the situation and informed her to be alert in case Cinder or one of her subordinates attempts to alter her perception of reality. Aurelius has also informed me that he already has a small detachment of Sentinels wandering through the streets hunting down White Fang forces preemptively. If what he's saying is true, several groups have already been found. It should give us an advantage fairly quickly."

Ironwood let out a sigh. "Ozpin, I don't like this. Everything's been too quiet since Roman Torchwick was captured. I've put the crew of the Aurora on high alert and put in a call for reinforcements that should be arriving within an hour or two, just in case."

Aurelius hummed quietly. "That may be wise. I find it doubtful that we know their entire plan, but it would be wise to ensure we have considered all possibilities." Aurelius glanced at the orange-clad woman behind him. "Adrienne, I want you to be prepared to lend assistance once everything starts. You have free reign to decide where you go and when, understood?"

Adrienne nodded, a smile on her face. "Of course. Failure isn't an option after all." Ozpin switched off the screen before the two Roses turned to leave, moving to their positions for this.

 **Amity Colosseum Stands**

Ruby let out a sigh as she glanced around the stands, waiting for the match to start. Weiss had informed her of what was going to happen and the red-cloaked girl had to admit she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Her eyes stopped as she saw Emerald sitting on the opposite side, tapping Weiss' hand to get her attention. "Emerald's here, I'm guessing she's the one with the illusionary semblance," Ruby whispered, causing Weiss to nod as she clenched her fist. As Ruby glanced around, she saw Mercury slip down a corridor, glancing around subtly as he did so. "Mercury's up to something, do you mind coming with me?" Weiss glanced over before standing up.

"Sure. It's best to be safe in case he has backup," the heiress said, causing Ruby to smile as she stood up, right arm still hidden. The duo walked over before they realized the hallway contained a maintenance access point.

Ruby glanced at Weiss. "You think he's setting something up to hijack the signal?"

Weiss hummed before nodding. "Probably. He's most likely making sure that my sister and the rest of the Atlesian military didn't get rid of Cinder's only way to make her plan move forward." Ruby nodded before opening the door, the two of them stepping into the hallway.

Mercury let out a frustrated sigh as he stepped out of a side room. "I don't get why this is my job, it's not like Emerald couldn't do this before the match-"

"You know, you really shouldn't be back here Mercury…" Ruby said, causing the boy to turn and glare at her before smirking.

"I could say the same for you, furball," he said as he took a few steps back, the two girls keeping pace with him. "How's the arm? It's going to be hard to be a Huntress with a weapon like your when you can only use one hand. Maybe you should ask the Ice Queen there if she's looking for a pet." Weiss clenched her fists, trying to resist the urge to strangle the boy before Port's voice rang out over the loudspeakers.

"It looks like our first contender is… Pen-"

"Penny Polendina from Atlas," Ruby said, making Weiss glance at her as the wolf tapped her chin with her left hand. "Hey Weiss, what do you think are the odds the other one's Pyrrha?"

Weiss saw Mercury freeze up out of the corner of her eye, causing her to smile slightly before shrugging. "Pretty good I'd say. In fact, you might even say that Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder made it a… certainty." Mercury growled as Pyrrha's name was announced before Ruby spoke up.

"Too bad Penny's not really out there, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I saw her out in the Arena!" Mercury said, moving to subtly pull out his Scroll before a knife stabbed into it, almost cutting off one of the boy's fingers. He glanced up to see Ruby grinning at him, arm outstretched from the throw.

"That's not really important right now. What _is_ important is we can't have you letting Cinder, Emerald, or the White Fang know we know what's going on until it's too late…" Ruby rolled her shoulder as she pushed her cloak back, causing Mercury to growl at the sight of her mended arm as she unfolded Crescent Rose. "Weiss, go tell Blake and Yang that the White Fang are going to be making their move some time in the next half hour. Tell as many teams as possible to get their weapons ready. I'll keep Mercury distracted." Weiss looked at Ruby hesitantly before sighing.

"Alright, just be careful, okay? We don't know what's going to happen today."

Ruby nodded, smiling at the heiress. "I'll be careful, promise." Ruby waited until she heard the door close behind her before she sighed, muttering quietly to herself before her eyes shone brightly. "There's no sniper to help you today, Mercury, and I'm not going to be holding back this time." Mercury watched as the wolf's cloak burst into a cloud of rose petals, swirling around her. He grinned, cracking his neck as he charged at her, only for her to sidestep and deliver a slash at his stomach, flinging him into a nearby wall. She hummed for a moment before Mercury stood back up, using a blast from his boots to surge forward, a kick aimed at her head.

Ruby ducked under the kick before hooking the smaller, rear blade of her scythe onto his foot, roughly yanking him back around and flinging him further down the hallway. She gave Crescent Rose a twirl as she calmly walked towards him. He quickly spun off the ground, aiming a kick for her shoulder before a blast of wind knocked him away. Ruby let out a sigh as the cloud of petals reformed around her. "This is going to be boring isn't it…"

 **Arena, with Pyrrha and Penny/Loki**

Pyrrha glanced across the arena at the figure in front of her. Loki, in the guise of Penny, smiled. "Sal-u-tations Pyrrha Nikos!" Loki said in a perfect imitation of Penny's voice. "It's an honor to finally meet you!"

Pyrrha smiled back. "It's my pleasure to meet you as well… Penny." Loki nodded.

"This is going to be so much fun!" the disguised Prefect said. Pyrrha quickly pulled out her sword and shield, getting ready for the fight.

"Begin!" Oobleck said as Loki deployed Penny's blades, quickly mimicking the gestures needed to control the blades as they twirled around before flying at Pyrrha. The girl quickly ran forward, dodging most before using her shield to deflect the last one. The Prefect grinned and recalled them, spinning the blades around his body before using them to engage Pyrrha in melee combat.

 **In the stands, with Ironwood**

"My word! What a tremendous display by Miss Polendina!" Port said over the speakers, causing Ironwood to grunt.

" _Aurelius said this "Loki" was one of his elite automatons. Considering that he's able to perfectly replicate Penny's every movement, I think I can see why…"_ Ironwood glanced away as he noticed Weiss stop in front of the members of team JNPR in the stands, whispering something to Jaune before the boy pulled his team up and out of the stadium. As Weiss moved on to the next team, Ironwood smiled subtly before getting up. _"I should get ready as well…"_

 **Arena, with Pyrrha and Loki**

Loki sent Penny's blades at Pyrrha a second time, causing the girl to jump into the air to dodge. She landed on one briefly before jumping down, swinging her spear at Loki as he brought a blade up to block. He spun the blades around, intending to hit Pyrrha with an upwards slash before she backflipped away, causing Loki to do the same to get some distance. He grabbed two of the blades and charged at Pyrrha, each swing causing the blades floating around him to move with him. Pyrrha readied her shield as her spear returned to its sword form, frowning as they started to warp briefly. She glanced at Loki, making a subtle gesture that caused the Prefect to frown, nodding slightly. _"Janus, she's falling under the effects of an illusion. It's beginning."_

" _Understood. Artemis, Vulcan, we are now on full alert. In exactly seven minutes, you may engage any White Fang agents freely. I will be passing this information along to Ironwood, Ozpin, and Aurelius shortly,"_ Janus responded, causing Loki to hum.

 **With Ruby**

Ruby spun her scythe in front of her, blocking a barrage of fire from Mercury before charging forward, Crescent Rose's blade bathed in lightning. Mercury managed to dodge the first swing before being struck by the second, causing him to fall to the ground as electricity surged through him. "You… honestly didn't expect me to be this challenging, did you?" Ruby asked, disappointment clear on her face before her Scroll rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, glancing at the number before she answered. "Hello?"

"Ruby, Loki's informed me that Emerald's starting to affect Pyrrha's mind. Whatever they have planned, it's going to start soon. We need everyone in position immediately." Aurelius said on the other side, causing Ruby to sigh.

"Okay, I'm on my way," she said before hanging up, glancing at Mercury. "I don't really have time to find someone to arrest you and I need to get going, so…" Ruby brought the base of her scythe down on Mercury's head, knocking him out as her cloak reformed. She let out a grunt as she picked him up, quickly dragging him over to a nearby pipe before pulling some cable out of her pouch, tying his hands together around it. She got up and burst into rose petals, speeding down the hallway back to the Arena.

 **With Pyrrha and Loki**

Pyrrha deflected a pair of blades before making a slash at Loki's chest and face, causing the disguised Prefect to stagger back. The girl smiled, pleased to finally be on the offensive before moving behind him, knocking him into the air with a swing. Loki recalled Penny's blades, grabbing two of them to block Pyrrha's attack before landing on the ground, frowning slightly. _"Let's see, if memory serves these are also energy weapons… Let's try that,"_ Loki thought, making the blades turn into beam weapons with a quick gesture. The blades hovered around him, firing blasts of energy at Pyrrha as she dodged, rolling out of the way as Loki casually sent a blade flying at her, firing a blast before it returned to a blade form to try and slash the girl.

Pyrrha dodged underneath it, blocking blade strikes and evading energy blasts as Loki became bolder in his manipulation of the blades. Eventually Pyrrha charged forward, stabbing the Prefect with her sword and knocking him back. Loki got up with a frown. _"They have a bit of recoil to them, maybe if I…"_ Loki quickly converted all the blades into beam weapons before pointing them all at the ground behind him, using the blasts to propel him at Pyrrha, knocking her off her feet. As the girl got up, Loki used Penny's blades to knock Pyrrha's shield and sword away before recalling all the blades, having them hover in the air behind him.

Pyrrha blinked in a daze as the blades multiplied. _"Calm down Pyrrha, it's just an illusion… It's not real,"_ she quickly told herself. Loki frowned, sending the blades at the girl but ensuring they were going slow enough to stop. He went wide-eyed as Pyrrha let out a strong burst with her semblance, sending the blades flying back at him. He quickly severed the cables connecting him to the blades with a thought before jumping out of the way, only for one of the cables to wrap around his arm and tear it off.

"Well, this is new…" he said bluntly, causing Pyrrha to snap out of her daze.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" she stopped as she heard sounds of shock and dismay go through the crowd. She looked on quietly before glancing at Loki. "Are you able to fix that? The damage isn't… _permanent_ , is it?"

Loki sighed. "Since my form is more flexible than the other automatons, I can easily fix it on my own. The others would need assistance." Loki froze for a moment before glancing at the screen as the image of a black queen on a red background appeared.

"This is not a tragedy," Cinder started. "This was _not_ an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your _children_ , to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, maimed by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl?" Loki frowned in annoyance. "I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."

"And why, I ask you, would she do this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I see neither. Perhaps Ozpin doesn't truly believe that Atlas _didn't_ have anything to do with the disaster from two days ago, when one of Beacon's most promising students was nearly murdered and will probably never be able to do the things she's spent _years_ of her life working towards. Perhaps he felt defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his near-failure to protect Vale when the Grimm almost invaded its streets. Or, perhaps, this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces and orders assassinations of those that threaten him… Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is… equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you, when the first shots are fired… who do you think you can trust?" The screen was overtaken by static before it was replaced by an image split into thirds, with the Valian Crest in the bottom left, Atlesian Crest in the bottom right, and a blue version of the Rose family Crest in the top. Ozpin and Ironwood appeared in front of their respective nation's Crests, while an image of the Arena appeared in the third as a tempest of blue rose petals encircled it.

"Who indeed…" Aurelius' voice intoned. "Do you trust those who have tried for almost 80 years to protect the kingdoms? The ones who have given their lives for those too weak to defend themselves? Or do you trust a woman you've never met, someone who has managed to steal control over Amity Colosseum's broadcast just moments after this accident occurred? Someone who _hacked_ into a system that was sabotaged just two days ago in an assassination attempt? No…" The cloud of petals shrank down as they reformed into Aurelius as he gazed around the arena, taking in the shocked expressions. "There is only one thing that she has spoken that is true. This was not an accident."

Ozpin spoke up. "I believe that General Ironwood would never do something as horrific as order the assassination of anyone, let alone a young girl that he himself respects and trusts. Not only that, but Qrow Branwen, Ruby's father, has chosen to put the same faith in Ironwood. If what this woman said was true… Why would we do that?"

Ironwood nodded before he continued. "Penny Pelondina was never designed to be an instrument of war. She was designed with free will to make her own decisions and wanted to become a Huntress."

Aurelius spoke up, turning to face Loki. "That reminds me. Loki, pull yourself together, you're making the situation worse by staring at your own severed arm. I built you to be able to put yourself back together so get to it." Loki blinked as he grabbed his arm, returning to his normal form as he reattached it. A rift opened up nearby before the real Penny stepped out, Loki walking through it afterwards before it sealed. "There are times when the leaders of the four kingdoms don't tell you the truth, but they do this to prevent you from panicking. The truth is, the man that tried to kill Ruby Rose was _not_ an Atlesian soldier. He was hired by the woman who was speaking earlier… to make _you_ distrust Atlas. And even with all the preparations she made, she still _failed._ " Ruby stepped out into the Arena, waving to the crowd with her right hand, smiling as they realized she had recovered. "She has someone that works for her who is able to alter the minds of those around her, make her see things that aren't there, and this person did this to Pyrrha, forcing her to act in ways she never would normally."

"And, as Ironwood said, Penny Pelondina was never built to be a machine of war." Aurelius glanced at the meek girl behind him. "She was created by an old man. A man that spent his life creating the machines that keep the kingdoms safe, a man that sacrificed his chance at _happiness_ to ensure the survival of others using his intellect. And when he stopped and realized he wanted a legacy beyond that of mindless machines built for battle, he was forced to live with a harsh truth: while he was focused on his work, he became old. Too old to have a hope of finding love and starting a family before he died. He used his knowledge and, with Ironwood's support and the sacrifice of a dying woman, created Penny to be his legacy. Can any of us look inside ourselves and honestly say we would deny a man with a heart that big his one selfish request in life?" Aurelius waited, glancing around as the crowd looked down. "No… I didn't think so."

"I'm certain many of you are asking who _I_ am that would dare appear here and tell everyone why they are wrong to doubt each other. If you must know, I have many names and many titles. I am Aurelius, the Blue Rose, founder of the oldest family in all of Remnant, Dust Sage, and member of Sanctuary's Second Triumvirate. For the last two thousand years, since the fall of my homeland, I have lived amongst you, watching the world develop as I was reborn again and again. And what I've seen has been… _disappointing_." He glared at the camera before he continued. "As my family sacrificed to protect the people of Remnant, humanity has grown to forget where we all came from, _what_ we all endured, human or faunus. The alienation of my family, the mistreatment of the faunus in general, and the uncaring response people gave to the Rose Hunts until humanity was threatened by them."

"Even now, the faunus are treated as less than people by many of _you_ while the governments of some kingdoms try desperately to make them equals. It is because of this that the White Fang exist and because of this that they have turned into the criminals and terrorists they are today. This is just one example of the mistrust that threatens to tear our world apart, the type of mistrust that has been exploited by an enemy my family has spent _centuries_ fighting in the shadows… And yet, there is still hope for true peace." The screen shifted to show a group of Atlesian soldiers and s few Huntsmen fighting a pack of Grimm. "Even now, Valian Huntsmen fight alongside Atlesian soldiers to defend this kingdom and its people from the White Fang, the Grimm, and my family's greatest enemy. Have faith in them, because they are an example that the world can still be saved. And they don't fight alone. Look skyward, people of Vale, and see what those who threaten you face if they wish to succeed." A loud rumble filled the air as the storm dissipated, the screen showing a massive structure floating above Beacon, dwarfing both Amity Colosseum and the city of Vale, lightning arcing around it. "Behold the Bastion, Sanctuary's crowning achievement and a symbol of a new era, an era of peace and cooperation. While the Rose family may have been abandoned, we will not abandon our duty to the people of Remnant. Sanctuary is resurgent and we stand united alongside Atlas and Vale in this fight. So long as one Rose remains standing, _Vale will not fall._ This is my promise to you all, and to the world at large." The screen flickered over to two scenes from Vale's streets.

 **Vale Residential District**

A group of White Fang members started moving through the streets, opening fire into croud of screaming civilians. The leader, a snake faunus, laughed maniacally before an arrow struck him in the side of the head. The rest of the group jumped, turning to face a nearby alleyway as Artemis stepped out, a group of five Sentinels creeping out behind her, bows ready. "Who the hell are you?" a deer faunus said, pointing a gun at Artemis.

The Praetor scoffed before she answered. "Who am I? If my name truly means anything to you, I am Artemis, Queen of the Hunt. With this attack, my Hunt begins and since you dare to attack the innocent…" Artemis quickly notched two arrows as she aimed her bow into the group of White Fang members. "You all… _are my prey!_ " Artemis snarled, letting the arrows fly and taking out two of the faunus before she and the Sentinels dissolved into thin air, arrows pelting the group.

 **Vale Commercial District**

A large group of White Fang members moved silently towards the city wall, creeping past a massive statue with a shield and sword. As they reached the wall, one of them knelt down, pulling a set of explosives out of a bag. "C'mon, we need to punch a hole in the wall for the Grimm to get in."

"And why would you expect me to allow you to do that?" a voice called out from behind them in a deep rumble, causing them to turn around, paling at the sight in front of them. Standing in front of them was a massive Goliath, tall enough that the tallest member of the group only reached its knee. It stabbed its sword into the ground, glaring down at them with an enraged mask in place of its face.

"W-what the hell is this thing?!" One of them said, only for the monstrosity to grab him lifting him up in front of its face.

"I am Vulcan, Lord of Infernos. By order of Aurelius, I shall stop any who dare threaten the people of Vale. That includes _you_ , worm!" Vulcan let out a roar as he slammed the poor faunus into the wall with a sickening crunch, the limp body dropping to the ground before he lifted his sword, taking a swing at the group and knocking half of them off the ground with ease before he continued his onslaught.

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center**

"It appears we have Nevermore and Griffons approaching Vale." Odin said in annoyance. "I'm activating the defensive weapons now…" Down below, bursts of Burn and Frost energy flew through the air, exploding and knocking them out of the sky.

Janus hummed, glancing at a screen displaying a courtyard in Vale. A large rift opened up before a large group of Sentinels and Champions charged out, splitting up into smaller squads. "Reinforcements are being deployed to assist in perimeter defense. Prepare the Rocs for deployment of additional forces." A nearby Sentinel nodded, moving toward the doorway. Janus put his hands behind his back, watching bursts of Burn, Frost, and Shock energy fly through the sky on the screens. The Battle of Beacon had begun… And the White Fang had no idea what they were walking into.

 **This is the first chapter of the Battle of Beacon done. I hope you enjoyed it. To give an idea of what's going on, three of the six Praetors/Centurions (Artemis, Vulcan, and Loki) are currently rampaging through the White Fang's ranks or getting ready to do so. A number of subtle changes include Ironwood's plan to cut power to the city during the fight. This might** _ **sound**_ **like another "Battle of Fort Castle" issue where the White Fang will have an advantage over the Atlesian military, but there's one thing to remember. They have better night vision, but it means they're also** _ **more vulnerable to bright flashes of light in the dark than humans are**_ **. Not only that, but the ones with ears as their trait (or one of their traits if they have more than one) would be more susceptible to loud, high-pitched noises. Ironwood, therefore, decided to exploit the early warning to equip his troops (with flash bangs and night-vision equipment) explicitly to turn the two most common advantages the faunus have over humans against them. Once the White Fang lost the element of surprise, the Battle of Beacon became a head-on battle, something Atlas is** _ **much**_ **better trained and equipped to deal with than the surprise attack from canon.**

 **Let me know what you think of this in a review.**


	34. Chapter 34: Battle of Beacon Part Two

**Here's another chapter for everyone. This one's mostly going to focus on what's happening on the ground. Expect to see a lot of chaos from Loki, Artemis, and Vulcan, along with a few scenes from Adrienne and Aurelius himself.**

 **On that note, I feel like fight scenes are where my writing is at its weakest. It just feels like I have a harder time writing chapters focused more on combat (like this one, less than 3500 words and it took me two days) compared to ones heavy on character interactions. ( chapter chapter 32 was written in about a day and was almost 5400 words long) Maybe it's just me and this is just one of those "I need it to be perfect" chapters and I'm just overlooking that. Leave a review if you have any input on the situation.**

 **Chapter 34: Battle of Beacon: Counterattack**

 **Vale Central Plaza**

Adrienne hummed as she watched the group of White Fang approach the Council building from a nearby rooftop, shaking her head as a massive bear faunus tried to knock the door down. The orange-clad girl hopped down, calmly moving towards the group. She frowned as she heard one of them speak up.

"Just give up man, it's no use. This place is probably more well-fortified than anything else in the city, we're never getting in there."

Adrienne tapped the tip of her blade against the ground before she spoke up. "He's right you know. There's no way I'm going to let you hurt anyone." The White Fang members turned to look at her, drawing weapons. She hummed as she glanced around. _"Every single one of them is wearing a mask… Nothing more than cowards I guess."_

The bear faunus in the group stepped forward, glaring down at her. "And how do you think you can do that, little girl?"

Adrienne growled. "I'll have you know I'm 20 and the normal height for someone my age. Don't call me _little_ just because you're too tall to fit through a door without hitting your head."

The White Fang member clenched his fists. "You must think your so brave, don't you? Trying to take all of us on by yourself."

"Bravery has nothing to do with it. My sworn duty is to defend the innocents and I will _never_ falter in that task. I will not abandon my post until those under me are safe. Besides, _I'm_ not the one wearing a mask, am I?" She grinned as the bear growled. "Now then, how about you show me that you're more than a coward, hmm?"

"You little…" The faunus let out a roar before charging forward. Adrienne smiled slightly as he lunged at her, taking a quick step to the side, her sword igniting before she made a slash at the back of his legs. The man fell to the ground, legs severed below the knees before the Orange Rose delivered a final strike. Adrienne frowned, returning to her previous position.

"Does anyone else want to try?" she asked, watching as the remaining White Fang members glanced between each other nervously. She let out a groan as they took off running. "Do you think I'll let you run and start attacking people elsewhere in the city?!" She made a quick horizontal slash, sending an arc of flame down the street after the White Fang before turning and running down a nearby street.

 **Vale Residential District**

A trio of White Fang members turned onto the narrow street, quickly scanning every shadow as they moved slowly. They were lucky enough to escape Artemis' initial ambush, but they were on guard constantly, each sound making them nervous. "I think they're gone…" the rabbit in the group said causing the other two to let out a sigh of relief. "We need to tell Adam and the others… Can you guys keep an eye out while I make a call?" The other two nodded and she went to pull out her Scroll when they heard a pained groan from a nearby alleyway. The trio glanced at each other nervously before walking towards it. The three let out a gasp as they saw another White Fang member with a number of arrows in his back before the bull faunus in the front ran over, kneeling down as the rabbit started searching through her pouch.

"Hey, stay with, you're going to be fine!" the bull said, turning to look at the rabbit. "Rouge, hurry up!"

"I'm trying! Give me a minute to fi-" a cry of pain tore her gaze away from her pouch, looking on in horror as the seemingly injured deer faunus stabbed a dagger into the bull's chest before morphing into the vague shape of a Sentinel. Loki let out a laugh as he stood up, removing his knife and turning to the two remaining White Fang members, causing them to flinch at the psychotic grin on its face plate. "W-what _are_ you?!" Rouge cried out, stepping back behind the wolf faunus in front of her.

Loki hummed, stepping forward as he twirled his dagger. "I suppose _what_ is a much better question than _who_. I am everything you could ever possibly fear, every terror you could imagine but never see, every monster from your bedtime stories, all wrapped together and given physical form. I am Loki, Master of the Mind and it is my _joy_ to spread fear and confusion in those that would harm the innocent. The two of you, your friend…" Loki gestured at the body behind him. "And the entire White Fang… Tonight, you will all _amuse_ me as payment for your crimes."

The wolf muttered over his shoulder to his companion. "Rouge, you need to get out of here."

"But-" the rabbit started.

"No buts, you need to get out of here and warn the others to watch out for this thing and the other ones. Go!" the wolf growled. Rouge looked at her comrade sadly before running off, eliciting a laugh from Loki.

"Yes, run! Tell all your _friends_ of the horror that will soon be upon them!" Loki called out before glancing at the wolf in front of him. "Now then, how about we have some fun, shall we?" A wisp of energy left Loki before taking the form of a Boarbatusk next to him. The wolf swallowed nervously before lunging forward with a roar.

 **Vale's Southern Wall**

A group of Atlesian soldiers jumped behind cover as an explosion tore through the wall. They watched cautiously as the White Fang charged in, one of the soldiers tapping a button on their phone before the lights throughout the neighborhood went out, plunging them into darkness. The faunus floundered for a moment as their eyes quickly adjusted while the soldiers switched on their helmets' night vision feature, quickly moving back with the White Fang in pursuit, exchanging fire. A group of Sentinels and Champions moved in behind to take care of the Grimm pouring through the gap. Once the firefight was far enough away, one of the soldiers let out a whistle before throwing a flash bang down the street, the rest of the squad ducking behind cover.

The faunus glanced in the grenade's direction in confusion before a blinding flash went off, causing many of them to drop to the ground crying out in pain. The squad moved up, quickly disarming and restraining the White Fang members before moving back to assist at the breach.

 **Vale Commercial District**

The White Fang hid as they watched Vulcan and a group of Sentinels take on a swarm of Grimm. Vulcan made a quick slash, taking out ten Beowolfs at once. "There's no way we can take that thing down…" One of the faunus said, causing another one to let out a groan.

"Don't be so cynical, everything has a weakness and it's only a matter of time until-" he froze as they watched Vulcan try to stab into a Deathstalker, only for the massive scorpion to backpedal and snap his sword with its claws. "See? I told you it'd only be-"

The faunus went silent as Vulcan let out an enraged roar, throwing his shield hard enough to cave in the skull of a Mammoth before grabbing the Deathstalker's tail, swinging it over his head. "Nobody breaks MY SWORD!" he roared, slamming the scorpion down on top of an Ursa before swinging it to the side to send a group of Beowolfs flying. After that, he ripped the stinger off and roughly slammed the point into its own armor, impaling it to the ground. Steam rose off the giant before he went to retrieve his shield.

The first White Fang member let out a whimper. "I-I know Adam's not going to like this, but maybe we should leave or surrender or something…"

 **Vale Fairgrounds**

A group of White Fang moved along the path, pushing a group of civilians closer to the center of the fairgrounds as Atlesian soldiers tried desperately to hold them back. As the faunus pushed them into a corner, they heard a voice carry though the air. "Ah, the White Fang. The absolute _worst_ the faunus have to offer as a species." The White Fang looked around before a cloud of blue rose petals flew into the center of the group, Aurelius forming within. "Don't you have something better to do than plot mass genocide?" He glanced around, frowning slightly. "Look at you, running around slaughtering people like a bunch of savages. Is this all you're good for? Is this what you want the White Fang's legacy to be?"

The cat faunus leading the group scoffed. "When this is over, we'll all be heroes! I don't get why you humans don't understand this is how things are meant to be, with you cowering in fear when you see us!"

Aurelius laughed, tapping his longsword against the ground. "I have fought creatures far more intimidating than you. If you truly believe you can pose a threat then come, prove it!" Aurelius' eyes shone brightly as the White Fang charged him. Just as they entered arms' reach of him, the Blue Rose exploded into a cloud of deadly petals, shredding the ones closest to him before reforming nearby, his cloak still slicing through them in the form of rose petals. He moved to attack the nearest surviving White Fang member when his Scroll went off. He glanced down at it and frowned before answering it. "This better be important, general."

"Aurelius, there's a problem. After Bastion and my ships took down the first wave of bullheads the White Fang was using for the attack, they started flying right above the city. My men can't fire on them without causing serious damage to the city and they're all landing near Beacon. Ozpin and your… Imperator Janus believe they're trying to block any route to the CCT Tower to prevent us from reaching Amber. I've already deployed Winter to the area, but we're going to need all the help we can get and the Aurora's gone silent."

Aurelius hummed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do." Aurelius closed his Scroll, glancing at the remaining White Fang member as his cloak reformed. "Ah, I should probably deal with you first…" He pointed his sword at the faunus before a blast of lightning shot out, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Aurelius nodded subtly before exploding into a cloud of petals, flying toward Beacon.

 **AWS Aurora, Bridge**

The Aurora's captain let out a frustrated sigh. "Why haven't we heard back from the hangar crew? The dropships with our reinforcements should have unloaded and went to assist with the fight by now." One of the crew members went to tap a few buttons on a nearby console before it made a beeping noise as an error message came up. The captain glanced over nervously as the man made a few more attempts, getting the same result each time.

"Um, sir… All communications are down. I can't get in touch with the hangar bay, engineering, damage control teams, gunnery crews… I can't even contact the other ships in our wing or General Ironwood." A short girl behind the captain grinned as he spoke up.

"Lock down whatever you can, we need to assume-" The captain let out a gasp as a blade stabbed through his chest, causing the rest of the people in the room to jump back. Neo smiled as she pulled the blade out, twirling her umbrella as she glanced around the room. One of the soldiers quickly pointed his rifle at her, pulling the trigger before she shattered like glass. Neo reappeared next to the man, stabbing him in the shoulder to make him drop the gun before she got to work clearing the bridge. After a few quick slashes, everyone else was either dead or crippled, causing the girl to nod in satisfaction.

Neo wiped off her blade before sliding it back into her umbrella, grabbing Torchwick's cane and hat as she walked over to the door, quickly unlocking it. As the door opened, she stepped aside to let a group of White Fang members through. "Not bad girlie, now we can actually fight back and really level this place." Neo rolled her eyes before starting to sign something. "Sorry girlie, I don't do that hand-speaking crap."

Neo growled silently as she pulled out her Scroll, typing out a quick message before putting it through a voice synthesizer. "Where's Roman?" the voice asked.

"How the hell should I know? You're the one that's been casing the ship out, go look for him yourself," the monkey faunus said dismissively, causing Neo to stomp out of the room, rubbing her throat as a few tears filled her eyes.

" _Sometimes I really wish I could talk like everyone else…"_

 **Amity Colosseum, Landing Area**

Ruby glanced around, watching as civilians crowded onto the airship. _"Okay, this is the last group and then we can go help down below with the battle…"_ The wolf's ear twitched as she saw a Nevermore swoop down to attack one of the fleeing airships, only for a blast of fire to hit it from above and rip it to pieces. Weiss walked up to Ruby, a look of concern on her face.

"Ruby, you said you tied Mercury up, right?" The wolf faunus nodded, causing Weiss to run a hand through her hair. "I looked everywhere in that access corridor, there's no sign of him. I think Emerald got him before she left." Ruby let out a frustrated sigh.

"That's just what we needed isn't it…" she grumbled. As the transport was loaded, Ruby glanced at Ironwood to see him pacing quietly. She walked over to him cautiously. "General Ironwood, is something wrong?"

Ironwood glanced at her anxiously. "Nobody can get in contact with the Aurora." Ruby's eyes widened. "We're not sure if it's just a malfunction, some virus that escaped our scans, or-" The general stopped as the two watched the Aurora fire a laser barrage into the destroyers in front of it, tearing the formation apart as debris rained down on Vale. "Ruby, I need you to go with your friends. Our only hope is that, if the Aurora was hijacked, I can get to it and take it back. If not… We may have to hope that the Bastion can deal with it."

Ruby nodded slowly. "If it looks like you're run into trouble, I'll try to come and help, alright?" Ironwood nodded before moving to enter the nearby Dropship, sitting in the pilot's seat before launching. Ruby quickly moved toward the nearby airship, glancing at the nearby teams. "Come on, the airship should be able to reach Bastion without any problems. We need to go help out at Beacon."

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center**

Janus leaned against the railing as he looked at the screen, watching as the Atlesian fleet crumbled around the Aurora. "Athena, what's going on?"

Athena glanced in his direction. "We're not sure, we haven't been able to get ahold of anyone on the Aurora through any means. It's entirely possible that the entire ship has been taken over."

Janus nodded and went to speak when the Cruiser fired a missile barrage directly into the city, destroying entire blocks. The Imperator growled as he looked at the destruction. "I want all weapons to prioritize the Aurora. Prime the Aegis."

"Janus, if we do that-" Athena started.

"If we don't do anything Vale will be destroyed and everyone currently hiding within Bastion will be reduced to refugees," Janus said, voice hard. _"_ You have your orders. _Prime the Aegis._ "

Athena nodded, moving over to a console. "Power transfer will take approximately ten minutes…"

Janus nodded as Ironwood's face appeared on a nearby screen. "Janus, I don't know what you have planned, but I beg you. Give me a chance to take care of this." Janus leaned forward.

"General, ever moment we waste is another building that gets leveled. I can't sit around and wait for you to potentially reclaim your ship…" Janus sighed. "But I can promise you ten minutes before we're able to engage it without risk of our own destruction."

Ironwood nodded. "I'll try to see what I can-" Gunshots rang out before the screen turned to static.

 **Amity Colosseum Landing Area**

Ruby growled in frustration as she watched Ironwood's dropship go down near Beacon. She turned towards Weiss, noticing the girl's worried expression. "I need to get up there. Can you take care of things for me?"

Weiss went wide-eyed, gaze subtly going to Ruby's shoulder. "But what if you get hurt or worse? We don't know how Janus is planning to deal with the situation!"

Ruby put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "I'll be fine, okay?" Weiss nodded hesitantly before walking off towards the airship. Once she was out of sight, Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose and launched into the air, flying towards the Aurora in a cloud of rose petals. She was going to stop the Aurora, no matter what.

 **This chapter's finished for now. As I said, I'm not too happy with the quality of the fight scenes that make up most of the chapter. If you think they're fine or have a suggestion for how to improve them, leave a review or send me a message.**


	35. Chapter 35: Battle of Beacon Part Three

**I'm pretty sure people can guess what's going to happen in this chapter considering how the last one ended. It was both fun and frustrating to write, however.**

 **Just a warning, as the end of last chapter showed, this chapter and the next 1-3 are going to be darker than the canon events,** _ **especially**_ **this one.**

 **Chapter 35: Battle of Beacon: Aurora's Last Flight**

 **Beacon Academy, Dorm Rooftops, with Emerald and Mercury**

Emerald covered her mouth as she watched the Aurora fire another missile barrage towards Vale, Bastion's weapons trying desperately to destroy the deadly munitions as they fired futilely at the Aurora, each blast coming short of the cruiser. "This is horrible…" she muttered as the warship fired its spinal laser at the floating fortress, the massive Dust barrier absorbing the blast.

"I know, it's _beautiful_ ," Mercury said with a grin as he watched large swathes of the city burn.

Emerald looked at him, a look of horror on her face. "How the hell can you say that? People are _dying_ down there! Are you really just some heartless monster?"

Mercury looked at her, a smug grin on his face. "Hey, maybe you should get off that damn high horse of yours. After all, it was _you_ that made all this possible, right?" Emerald opened her mouth to counter it before a mortified look crossed her face.

"O-oh god…" Emerald dropped down to her knees, retching as she emptied her stomach, Mercury laughing behind her. _"W-what have I done? I never wanted to be part of anything like this…"_

"Relax Emerald, just sit back and enjoy it. Our part's done, now we just have to wait for Cinder to do whatever the hell she needs to."

 **Beacon Academy, Northern Perimeter, with Winter**

Winter glared at the White Fang as her squad moved forward, moving through the White Fang's ranks as the soldiers and Atlesian Knights slowly advanced behind her. "Keep pushing towards the CCT Tower! We need to clear a path!" she yelled out as she stabbed a White Fang member in the base of his neck, pulling the blade out as he dropped to the ground. She went to attack the nearest White Fang when a shot from behind her caused her to glance over her shoulder. She went wide-eyed as she saw the Knights opening fire on the soldiers before she growled, Aurelius' words ringing in her ears as the soldiers scrambled to react. _"Obsessive discipline makes people predictable… Perhaps he's right,"_ she thought as she reached a hand into one of her pockets, quickly pressing a button before small explosions rang out from inside the Knights, causing them to drop to the ground.

She spun around as she heard a cry behind her, only to see Aurelius looking at her with an amused expression, sword buried in the chest of a White Fang member moments away from cleaving her with an axe. "Did you really sabotage your _own_ robots?" he asked, pulling the blade back out.

She glared at him, grip tightening on her blades. _"I shouldn't have to justify my actions to you,"_ she thought to herself. "After the CCT Tower was hacked I thought it would be wise to take the necessary precautions in case one of the control computers was hacked. I feel that my actions were warranted," she said coldly, blocking an attack from a blade before slashing across her attacker's chest

"I didn't say I had issue with it. In fact, I approve of the initiative." Winter looked at him in surprise. "I'm glad to see at least some of Atlas' military is able to think beyond their training. Perhaps there's hope for you after all, Schnee." She quickly looked away, scoffing.

"I don't need your approval, just focus on the task at hand!" Aurelius let out a sigh.

"So be it…" Aurelius took a deep breath before blinking down the path with a trail of rose petals behind him, cleaving through a bear faunus with a quick swing. He quickly ducked under a mace swing before removing his attacker's arm. Winter watched in surprise before she moved to help. Before she took more than a few steps, the ground shook. Everyone glanced toward Mountain Glenn as the peak shattered, a Grimm Dragon flying out with a roar, moving towards Beacon.

Aurelius let out a frustrated growl, eyes shining brightly. "We don't have time for this…" Winter watched as the Dragon let out a pained roar, writhing as it dissolved into a massive cloud of rose petals drifting down from the sky. Aurelius nodded in satisfaction, eyes returning to normal as Winter looked at him in dismay. "Now then, where were we…"

 **With Weiss, Yang, Blake, and Teams JNPR, CFVY, and SSSN**

"Holy shit…" Yang said as she watched the giant Grimm disintegrate. "I wonder which of them was responsible for that…" Weiss charged forward, stabbing a White Fang member in the shoulder before he could cleave through the blonde.

"Yang! We don't have time for this!" she growled. The group watched a bullhead go down nearby, an Alpha Beowolf falling out of it and rampaging through the area outside the courtyard. "Yang, Blake, would you mind taking care of that please?" The duo nodded, running off after it. Yang glanced to the side as Pyrrha and Jaune went to follow Ozpin, frowning slightly.

The pair followed along behind the Grimm, watching as it climbed up a nearby building. They turned to glance into the window when they heard a scream before Blake whimpered slightly. "No…" she muttered, watching the red-haired man stab into the chest of an Atlesian soldier. He stopped and turned to face her, a cruel grin on his face.

"Well, hello _darling_ ," he said, stepping into the center of the building.

Yang looked at Blake in confusion. "Blake, who is this guy?"

Blake looked at her in fear. "It's my old partner from the White Fang… Adam." Yang looked at the man with wide eyes.

"As, so the filthy traitor remembers my name! And you even brought a human along too… I'm honestly not sure what's worse, her for being a human, or _you_ for betraying your own kind," Adam said with a growl.

"I'm not betraying the faunus, Adam! The White Fang's way of doing things isn't the right way! We need to-" Adam cut Blake off with a laugh.

"Oh, I see how it is. You had a change of heart, didn't you? Do you _really_ think there's any hope for humans and faunus to be equals? You're deluding yourself, Blake! This has been going on for _centuries_. It's not going to end until either we wipe out or enslave humanity, or they do the same to us!" Adam pointed his sword at Yang, causing the pair to prepare their weapons. "And since you're standing right here, blondie, I think I'll start with you!"

 **Vale Streets, with Adrienne**

Adrienne cast an enraged glare up at the Aurora, gritting her teeth before she spun around to continue hunting down the White Fang. Most of the soldiers and Draconian forces had quickly realized the White Fang was making sure to only bombard areas none of their own forces were in, further enraging the Orange Rose. The sound of a scream caused her to run into an alleyway, stopping as she saw a pair of White Fang trying to drag a woman out into the street. "Look here, girlie, you can either come with us or we make sure you can't leave when this area gets hit. Make your choice."

Adrienne growled. "All you people are is a bunch of monsters!" she snarled, causing the two faunus to glance at her. "You act like you have the right to do whatever you want. You act like your cause is just and noble, that you're all _heroes_ when you're nothing more than a bunch of masked cowards that go around murdering people who never did anything to you!"

The deer faunus looked at her. "Do you really think we care what you think? You're just a human, you don't understand or care about anything that's happened to us!" Adrienne tightened the grip on her sword as he continued. "Look around you. This is what we've had to deal with for centuries and it's about time you understood that. People like Jacques Schnee are the real monsters and we're the ones winning this fight. We have _nothing_ to fear, especially not a girl like you," he finished condescendingly.

Adrienne let out a roar as her eyes shone, slipping into her Vigil for the first time in the battle as her sword ignited. "Then take off your masks and fight, _cowards_!" She charged at the pair, getting ready to stab the deer when he lifted the woman in front of him. Adrienne glared at him before she split into two halves, one moving around the woman to cut his arm off while the other copy swiftly beheaded the other faunus. The deer let out a scream of pain before the Orange Rose pinned him to the ground, glaring at him. "I _hate_ people who hide behind others like that," she growled before stabbing her sword into his chest. She took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "I offer these souls to Thanatos and beg for his mercy on their behalf, even if they don't deserve it. May they be judged fairly for their crimes and be given a chance at redemption in the next life…" She glanced down at the woman. "Are you okay? Let's get you somewhere safe, alright?"

 **Beacon Academy, near the dorms, with Winter and Aurelius**

Winter let out a shout as she surged forward, stabbing into a Beowolf. She glanced to the side to see Aurelius sidestep a Boarbatusk, quickly stabbing into its side before his blade burst into flames. The had made progress towards the CCT Tower, fighting through White Fang and Grimm with little difficulty. Winter watched as Aurelius made a quick gesture before ice shards tore apart an Ursa, not noticing the Alpha Beowolf jumping down from above her. Aurelius glanced over and frowned before dashing over, using the Rose Storm to boost his speed to slip in front of her. As it approached, he quickly made a slash and cut it in two before glancing at Winter. "Now isn't the best time to get distracted, Schnee."

Winter was about to respond when Aurelius had a sudden coughing fit, covering his mouth. She blinked in surprise. _"He was able to fight through almost half of the academy without any difficulty, why is he suddenly…"_ Winter's thoughts stopped as she saw him wipe a bit of blood from his mouth. "Something's wrong with you. I don't recall you getting injured."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "This body wasn't meant for a semblance like the Rose Storm and I haven't had to use the speed aspect yet. I've been gradually adjusting it to be in line with my original form in every way, but until then I'll have to deal with extreme backlash from the speed aspect… Including, most significantly, slowly tearing my muscles apart the more I use it."

Winter sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why are you fighting if you risk tearing yourself apart? You're being a fool right now."

Aurelius shrugged, wiping the blood off his hand. "I'm a Rose. Being dedicated to protecting the innocent to the point of recklessness is a common trait. Besides, so long as I don't use that aspect of my semblance, I don't have to worry quite so much."

Winter frowned slightly. "I suppose there's nothing I can do to prevent it. Just try not to destroy yourself before the battle's over. I wouldn't want to have to drag your body out of a fight."

Aurelius looked at her in amusement as the two continued moving down the street towards the courtyard.

 **Beacon Vault, with Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ozpin**

Ozpin went to step out of the elevator but stopped, flipping his cane around as he stepped out into the hallway, glancing around at the scattered remains of a number of Sentinels. The trio ran down the hallway, only to duck to the side as a blast of energy went down the corridor. "No…" Ozpin muttered before glancing back at Jaune and Pyrrha. "Cinder's been using the chaos as a distraction and prevent us from reaching Amber in time. The two of you need to leave and get Aurelius. Hurry!"

"But Professor Ozpin-" Pyrrha started.

"Go! This isn't the time to argue!" Pyrrha went to argue when Jaune put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's right, if understand it, there's not much we can do here. We need to let everyone know what's going on," Jaune said. Pyrrha let out a frustrated sigh as she nodded, glancing at Ozpin.

"Be careful, Professor…" Ozpin glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't fret, children. Even if I do lose this fight I won't be gone for long. Now go, hurry!" The two quickly started moving towards the elevator, casting one last glance at the headmaster before the door closed.

 **Beacon Courtyard, with Weiss and Team CFVY**

Weiss watched in amazement as Velvet quickly dismantled the pair of Paladins in front of her, using her projector to replicate the weapons the rest of the students and other teams used to rip one of them apart. Coco glanced at her with a grin. "Not bad, right? Her semblance lets her mimic anything she's seen and her projector's built using some old Draconian tech that she cobbled together. She doesn't get to use it too often, so she _really_ likes to go all out when she can." A cry drew their attention back to the fight, causing Coco to look on in horror as Velvet was sent flying. "Velvet!" Coco growled out before she revved up her gatling gun, Neptune and a few others firing on the remaining Paladin as well.

Weiss looked at the machine, letting out a growl as she charged forward, using her Glyphs to increase her speed. She stopped in front of the Paladin, slamming the tip of her sword into the ground before a giant Glyph appeared behind her, a spectral Goliath stepping out and standing in front of her. The Paladin moved to punch the armored figure before it slapped the mechanical fist away, bringing its sword up in a diagonal slash, cleaving it in half. The Goliath scoffed quietly before planting its sword into the ground, fading as Weiss lost the ability to maintain it.

Velvet and Coco ran over, looking at her in surprise. "Weiss, what was that?" Velvet asked, gesturing to where Weiss' summon was just standing.

Weiss took a deep breath, panting heavily. "It's the part of my Glyphs I've had the most problems with… It seems I've finally made some progress with it, even if it is exhausting…"

Coco smiled at the heiress. "Not bad Weiss. I think you deserve some rest after that."

 **With Aurelius and Winter**

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh as his Scroll went off, glancing at the number. He looked up at Winter and shrugged before answering it. "This better be important-"

"Bisman! Er, Aurelius, sir, um… We have a problem," Jaune said nervously.

Aurelius paused, staring at the device. "Explain."

"It's that Cinder woman! Ozpin, Pyrrha, and I went down to do that Aura transfer thing…" Winter and Aurelius shared a concerned glance as Jaune hesitated. "She was already down there! She killed Amber and Ozpin stayed behind to let us get away. I-I think she killed him too bec-"

"She _what?_ " Aurelius asked, dismayed.

"She killed Ozpin! We got out on the ground floor and the other elevator was going all the way up the tower. Pyrrha just went up after her, I don't know what to do!" Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh as he glanced at Winter.

"Jaune, calm down, I'll take care of this. Just get back to the rest of your team and-" Aurelius glanced up as a rumbling came from Bastion. "Oh dear… This might be difficult to clean up…"

 **With Yang and Blake**

Blake let out a grunt as Adam slammed the hilt of his sword into her stomach, knocking her to her knees. Yang roared as she charged forward, fist pulled back to punch him in the face. The bull faunus stepped to the side, delivering a quick slash to the blonde's back as Blake jumped up to attack from behind, causing him to spin around and shoot her from point blank with Blush. Blake tumbled to the ground, groaning slightly as she lifted her head, watching in horror as Adam held the tip of Wilt over Yang's chest, foot on her stomach. Blake struggled to her feet and tried to take a few shots at Adam, which he quickly deflected. "Leave her alone!" Blake shouted before she went wide-eyed at the grin Adam sent her way as he moved towards her, punching her in the stomach and delivering a slap to the face to knock her down.

"So, blondie's special to you, is she? Well, the only fitting punishment for a traitor is to see everything the care about destroyed, so…" Blake struggled to get up as Adam walked over, forcing Yang back down onto her back before he held her hand down. Adam grinned cruelly as he brought his blade down on Yang's arm, causing her to scream out.

"Yang!" Blake cried out, tears spilling from her eyes as Adam pushed the blonde's other arm down. Before he could do anything, an arrow shot into his shoulder, causing him to stagger forward. He spun around, growling as he pulled the arrow out, finding himself face to face with a trio of Sentinels and Artemis.

"I would leave if I were you… You will only get one chance to flee." Adam growled as he looked at the Prefect in front of him. He'd received more than a few messages warning him about the figure in front of him. Before anyone could do anything, a rumbling in the distance caught their attention. Adam let out a growl and ran, understanding he had no real hope in a four on one fight at the moment.

 **Earlier, AWS Aurora Command Bridge**

"What the hell are you doing?" Roman asked in frustration as he glared at the monkey faunus that was sitting in the captain's chair. "The plan was to take control of the ship, hack their robots, and then keep anyone from leaving, not level the entire damn city while that _thing_ tries to shoot us out of the sky!"

The faunus laughed, resting his head in his hand as he leaned against the armrest. "That was the _witch's_ plan. We're doing what Adam told us. Vale's supposed to be destroyed, then we're going to pick through the rubble and take every human we find prisoner. Any humans that resist and all faunus that refuse to help us are going to be killed. That's the new plan, so you're just going to have to deal with it."

Roman ran a hand down his face. "Are you people fucking insane? As soon as you destroy most of the city, that thing, the Bastion, whatever it's called, is going to have _nothing_ left to defend but itself! The only reason it hasn't shot us out of the sky yet is because we're staying out of its range, do you really think it's going to sit there once half the city's been-"

"Hey, something just landed on top of the ship," one of the faunus said, ignoring Torchwick. The man let out a growl before he glanced at the screen, paling at the sight of a red cloak.

"Well, I kinda saw that one coming…" Torchwick said, tapping his cane against the ground. "I'll take care of that I guess… C'mon Neo."

The girl hopped up from a nearby chair. _"Right,"_ she signed quickly, grabbing her umbrella.

Torchwick let out a sigh as they walked down the corridor. "I'm not going to lie, I think Red might actually kill us this time…"

" _Maybe we'll get lucky and take her down… Or maybe she'll get distracted and we can escape,"_ Neo signed.

"We both know she's not going to do that. I swear, she gets more annoying with each fight…" Neo nodded quietly as they climbed out on top of the Aurora, looking across them at Ruby as she cleaved through a Griffon. "C'mon Red, do you really need to show up _every_ time I'm up to something?"

Ruby turned around and glared at the duo, eyes shining. "Why are you doing this? _Why_ are you helping the White Fang with this bloodbath?"

Torchwick threw his hands up. "Do you think I _want_ a part in this Red? I signed on for stealing Dust and end up in a conspiracy to destroy Vale! These lunatics threatened to kill me if I didn't cooperate with them and now that I _have_ , I'm going to be one of the most wanted criminals in all of Remnant! I don't have a damn choice in any of this anymore. It's survival of the fittest Red, and I can't afford to lose this fight!"

Ruby hummed. "That's more or less what I thought. You didn't really _sound_ like you were doing this for money from what I heard," she said before smiling. "Speaking of which, have you checked your pockets since our last encounter?"

Roman looked at her suspiciously as he slid his hand into one of his pockets. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about Red, but-" he blinked as he pulled out Ruby's listening device. "Wait, you _bugged_ me? I'm not sure if I should be impressed that you pulled that off or ashamed it took me this long to find the thing!"

Ruby smiled. "I'm surprised you're still working for Cinder after what's going on."

Torchwick let out a frustrated sigh. "Look around Red, the White Fang's got the upper hand. Even with that thing floating in the sky, there's not much that can hurt the Aurora… And they're firing on _everything_ they don't like, which would include Neo and me if we decided to leave. The White Fang's going to win this, and we're just going to be killed if we try to leave now." Roman shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie, I really admire your spirit kid, but spirit only takes you so far. If I want to make sure Neo and I make it out of this alive, I've got to be on the winning side, whether I like it or not!"

Ruby heard her Scroll beep and let out a sigh as she checked it. _"Two minutes left."_ "I'm honestly surprised you care so much about Neo. Do you to have a history together?"

"Why does it matter to you Red? The only way you're leaving this ship is if you kill us and everyone on it."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Humor me. I'm curious."

Roman let out a frustrated sigh before he looked at the wolf faunus. Ruby hummed as she noticed small objects start appearing along the ground as Neo tried to set up the battlefield. "I guess it doesn't really matter… Back a few years ago, when I was maybe just a little older than you, I was living on the streets, trying to scrape out a living as best I could any way I could. I won't say I'm proud of what I did back then, but I did a hell lot better than most other people in my situation. One day, after I managed to nab myself a meal, I see this little girl digging through the garbage looking for something to eat and she honestly looked like she wouldn't last a week on the street. I wasn't sure what came over me, and I'm _still_ not sure, but I decided to give her some of it on a whim, my good deed for the month if you want to call it that. After that, I just kind of left, not expecting to see her ever again."

Neo frowned slightly before Roman pat her on the head. "So, imagine my surprise when, a few days later, I'm running from the police and I see the same girl waving me into an alleyway. I had this feeling that it'd be the best chance I'd have at getting away, so I ran down it… into a dead end. I turn to run and find a solid wall in front of me and the police have no idea I'm even there. After that, I decided that keeping her around wouldn't be such a bad idea and I took her under my wing. After a year or two though, I started to warm up to her and she looked up to me, so…"

Ruby nodded quietly. "So you adopted her."

"Yeah. It turns out that Neo's parents died about a week before I first found her. A fire burned her house down and she didn't have anyone or anything. She'd already awakened her semblance by then and it'd taken away her voice."

"So, you care a lot about her right? You don't want anything to hurt her?" _"Ten seconds…"_

Torchwick growled. "What kind of question is that, Red? I thought I made it clear!"

"Even that?" Ruby asked, gesturing toward Bastion as a loud rumbling echoed through the air. The uppermost part of the Spire Crystal detached, splitting into a large central crystal and four small, Gravity crystals that lifted it into the air. A trio of rings drifted up, spinning around the massive crystal as a lens on each one aligned with the Aurora. "We should probably leave… I don't think any of us want to be here right now."

"You know what, Red, for once I agree with you-" Torchwick cried out as Ruby grabbed him and Neo, flinging herself off the Aurora before carrying them away in a cloud of rose petals.

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center**

Janus tapped his hand against the railing as Odin stood to the side, the tip of his spear planted in the floor as he gazed towards the Aurora. "The focusing lenses are aligned," the one-eyed Prefect announced.

Janus glanced at him before turning back. "I want it reduced to scrap metal, Odin. Proceed."

Odin nodded. "Aegis Array is firing." The crystal hummed loudly before a beam of Burn energy surged through the lenses, piercing through the Aurora with the sound of a thunderclap before dissipating. Janus watched as the Aurora's debris fell from the sky, the engine pods exploding briefly. "Remaining power reserves are low. Prioritizing the Shock barrier and Gravity crystals."

Janus nodded before turning to Odin. "You are in command for the time being. I will be moving to Beacon to assist." Odin nodded as Janus opened a rift, stepping through it along with four other Prefects.

 **Beacon Academy, with Winter and Aurelius**

Winter stared wide-eyed as the Aegis crystal returned to its position. "W-what was that?"

Aurelius grunted. "Something we don't have time to discuss right now. Jaune, I need you to return to the courtyard and help your classmates. I'll handle the rest, understood?"

"Um, okay…" Jaune said over the Scroll before Aurelius hung up.

The Blue Rose hummed as he glanced at Winter. "You should probably head there to assist as well…" Winter looked like she wanted to protest before she let out a sigh.

"Just don't destroy yourself. I'm sure General Ironwood will be… displeased if he doesn't get an opportunity to repay you for the Aurora's destruction," Winter said. Aurelius nodded before bursting into rose petals, flying towards the CCT Tower. Winter watched, a look of concern on her face before she turned to head towards the courtyard.

 **With Weiss and Team CFVY**

"Remind me to never piss them off. They'd probably destroy all my favorite stores before I could do anything…" Coco said nonchalantly as the Aurora fell out of the sky.

Weiss went to respond when she saw another Paladin charging at them out of the corner of her eye. "Velvet, can you do what you did again?" the heiress asked, causing the rabbit to shake her head meekly. Weiss let out a sigh, her breath coming out in a cloud as she made a gesture. The air temperature dropped sharply as the Paladin came to a halt, ice shards bursting out of its armor. Once the Paladin dropped to the ground, Weiss fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she lost all feeling in her arms and legs. Team CFVY, Ren, and Nora quickly gathered around her before a familiar voice spoke out.

"Weiss!" Winter called out as she stopped next to Weiss, frowning. "What are you doing taking a risk like that?! You know what your semblance can do to you!"

Weiss leaned against Winter shivering. "I-I didn't h-have a choice…" Winter let out a sigh and wrapped her arms around her sister, a look of concern on her face.

"Try to save your energy Weiss, but you need to stay awake, understood?" Weiss nodded, trembling as the consequences of her actions sank in.

 **With Cinder and Pyrrha**

Cinder smiled as she punched Pyrrha in the stomach, creating a shockwave powerful enough to destroy the upper level of the Tower. Pyrrha glanced around using her semblance to quickly lift debris into the air to crush Cinder, only for her to unleash a blast of fire to send everything flying. An arrow flew out of the explosion and struck Pyrrha in the ankle, causing her to cry out as her Achilles tendon was torn. "It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours…" Cinder went to kneel down when she heard a voice.

"I believe I get to decide who my power belongs to," Aurelius growled as he reformed on the Tower, glaring at Cinder as he stabbed his sword into the ground. Cinder quickly stood up, creating a bow. Aurelius hummed before calling out. "Janus, get Pyrrha out of here." A rift opened up before a pair of Sentinels stepped out, carefully picking up the redhead and retreating.

Cinder growled. "And what do you expect to do exactly, Aurelius?"

The Blue Rose frowned, rolling his shoulders as his cloak dissolved, vanishing from existence. "I'm here to reclaim what you've stolen, Cinder." He removed his sword from the ground as his eyes shone slightly.

 **This chapter was a bit difficult to write, mainly because scenes like Adam's savagery towards Yang are ones I'm not sure if I should include as they are. If you think any parts of this are too dark, let me know and I'll adjust it.**

 **The Aegis is, as shown, Bastion's trump card. It requires vast amounts of power from the fortress-city's reserves, but it's the only weapon it currently has able to outrange an Atlesian Cruiser. The Aegis Array is made up of the "Crown" of the Spire, the five crystals that extend out beyond the top of the Citadel Tower, and three rings with a focusing lens on each, meaning it operates on the same principle as the upgraded Crescent Rose and any other Draconian weapons powered by Dust crystals.**

 **Penny's absence in this chapter and the previous one when she survived her canon death are a bit jarring in my opinion, but I was having difficulty finding a place I could fit her in where it'd feel natural. Hopefully, she'll be able to make more appearances after the Battle of Beacon when I decide exactly what I want to do with her.**

 **I'm sure everyone who paid attention will quickly realize the fight between Cinder and Aurelius won't be as one-sided as it would normally seem. Aurelius' condition means he's restricted in his use of the Rose Storm's speed aspect and other conditions during the fight mean he can't use the other aspects either, while his use of the Reaper's Stare to kill the Grimm Dragon means he's too drained to effectively use any aspect of the Vigil. This means that, against a relatively well rested Cinder that's able to fight at full power, Aurelius might actually have a fairly poor chance of succeeding. His only real advantage is his secondary semblance allowing him to create Dust at will and do various other things.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed this and please leave a review if you have comments, input, or requests for how I could improve this.**


	36. Chapter 36: Battle of Beacon Finale

**Poll information: I've taken a look at the pace I've set and how much I need to do between where the story is now and the end of the events surrounding Volume 4. Even if I release a chapter each day and remove planned noncanon fluff chapters, there's no real way I can get to the end of Volume 4's events before Volume 5 starts, so I'm stuck with the interesting choice of either waiting for each episode of Volume 5 and then making a chapter based around its events if possible, continue on and completely ignore the Volume 5 events after the first 1-2 episodes,** _ **or**_ **continue along with what I have planned and them come back later to write a branching story that follows the events of Volume 5. I'm going to be leaving a poll on my profile, please vote on which you'd prefer. Regardless of what happens, I'm probably going to be taking a bit more time to work on the chapters after this one.**

 **Starburst2879: Honestly part of the reason for my pace is because I really enjoy writing it as much as many people enjoy reading it. The other part is that I've been trying to set a pace to reach the end of Volume 4 before the 14th when Volume 5 starts so I could avoid my current dilemma. Considering I plan to have up to three chapters between this one and the start of the Volume 4 events, as well as potentially a few extra ones during Volume 4, I don't expect to reach the end of 4 until perhaps a few days after the second episode of Volume 5 is released at my current pace and I don't watch them on Rooster Teeth's website, so I'm not sure if I could see them as soon as they get put up.**

 **Chapter 36: Battle of Beacon: Final Stand**

 **Vale Streets, with Ruby, Torchwick, and Neo**

Torchwick let out a groan as he fell to the ground in a daze, blinking in confusion. "That's… probably the worst ride I've ever had…" He quickly glanced up at Ruby. "N-no offense, Red. I have to ask though, why'd you do that?"

Ruby looked at the man before shrugging. "It's like you said, you didn't want anything to do with this, so there's no reason for me to leave you to die. All I've done is give you a choice. You can go back to your bosses and become complicit in everything they do after this. You could use this opportunity to disappear and I'll tell everyone that you died in the explosion…" Ruby smiled, holding a hand out. "Or, you could work _with_ us instead. Cinder and everyone else that works with Salem might not be too thrilled, but you've seen what we can do now. We're the best chance for Remnant's survival and prosperity and it'd give the two of you a second chance."

Torchwick winced. "Oh, that's a tough one. Lot of chances to get killed no matter what." Neo quickly tugged on his sleeve.

" _It would be nice to have a clear conscience if something happens,"_ she quickly signed.

"A clear consci- it won't matter if we're dead, Neo!" Roman said, exasperated.

Neo pouted slightly. _"Please? You helped me, why not help others?"_ she signed before looking at him sadly. _"How many children are going to be like me after this?"_

Roman sighed. "That's… I can't help _everyone_ , Neo…"

The girl frowned. _"Then try to help the people we can. Please."_

Torchwick let his shoulders sag. "Alright, fine… I'll give it a try, okay?" Neo smiled before wrapping the man in a hug, causing him to smile slightly. Ruby grinned as she watched.

"I'd suggest the two of you either try to find someone that's willing to accept your help or stay out of sight until the entire thing blows over," Ruby started. "I need to get to Beacon and help out, okay?"

Roman let out a sigh and tapped his cane on the ground. "Alright, I'll see what we can do." Ruby nodded before bursting into a cloud of petals and flying towards Beacon. Torchwick turned to Neo before starting to walk away. "C'mon, let's get moving." Neo nodded, following behind, umbrella on her shoulder.

 **Beacon Tower, Ozpin's Ruined Office, with Aurelius and Cinder**

Aurelius gazed across the ruined debris at Cinder, adjusting his grip as the woman's eyes started to glow. She swung her arm, sending an arc of fire at him before he held up his hand, a barrier of Frost forming to absorb the blast. He thrust his blade forward, a bolt of lightning leaving the tip as Cinder dodged, sending two jets of flames at the Blue Rose before a gust of wind redirected them. She let out a frustrated growl before she created a bow, notching a pair of arrows before firing, causing Aurelius to dodge to the side, moving towards her.

Aurelius jumped into the air, bringing his sword down on Cinder before she rolled out of the way, shattering the floor. Cinder smiled as she used the shards to create spears, flinging them at him from all directions. Aurelius let out a frustrated growl as everything slowed down. He moved forward, knocking a few of the deadly projectiles aside as he slipped out, ignoring the agony the speed caused. "Is that all you can think of doing with my powers?" he said, scoffing as he stood up.

"I think I could use them _far_ better and more creatively than you ever could, old man," Cinder said, causing the Blue Rose to laugh.

"Your claim is amusing. Come, let me show you how to _really_ use my power!" he said as a series of Dust crystals formed around him. He made a quick gesture before each one hummed, firing a burst of Frost energy at Cinder. Cinder took a hit to the chest before she created a shockwave to absorb the attacks and knock the crystals away. Aurelius quickly sent an arc of Burn energy at her, followed by one of Wind, creating a blazing inferno. She let out a growl as she jumped over it before charging forward, putting him on the defense and forcing him to speed away.

After a brief moment Aurelius sent a burst of Frost at her, forcing her to launch two jets of flame at him to defend herself. The struggle between the two continued briefly before an explosion ripped through the area.

 **Beacon Courtyard, with Ruby**

Ruby landed in the middle of the courtyard, causing Artemis to glance at her. The wolf faunus took a deep breath before looking around. She saw Jaune quickly tending to Pyrrha while the members of Team CFVY stood guard. She noticed Ren and Nora looking at a white-clad figure. A horrified look crossed Ruby's face when she realized it was Weiss as the girl lay curled up, trembling violently as Winter held her in concern. "Oh gods, Weiss! What happened?" Ruby said, running over.

Winter looked at the wolf faunus sadly. "She had to use her secondary semblance to destroy a Paladin. I've never seen her this bad…"

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, only to see Blake holding onto Yang with the blonde's head in her lap, tears pouring from her eyes as she stared at the stump where the blonde's right arm used to be. "Yang… I'm so sorry…" Blake muttered quietly.

The wolf faunus went wide-eyed. "No…" She glanced down at her partner. _"If I don't do something, Weiss might die…"_ Ruby took a deep breath and nodded to herself before removing her cloak, kneeling down next to the heiress. "Here, this should help," Ruby said before she wrapped the cloak around her partner's shoulders and pulling the hood up, causing her to let out a relieved sigh.

" _So warm…"_ Weiss thought before she looked up at her partner, giving her the same soft smile from the dance. "T-thank you, Ruby." The wolf faunus smiled briefly, tail wagging slightly before speaking up.

"Where's Aurelius?" she asked, glancing around before an explosion from up above caught her attention. Ruby glanced up, face pale before she ran a hand through her hair. She glanced at Weiss and Winter nervously. "I need one of you to help me get up there."

Winter looked at the wolf in dismay. "What do you mean? You just flew all the way over here, surely you could do the same to reach the top of the Tower!"

Ruby glanced at Weiss briefly. "Not right now…" Weiss looked at her for a moment before moving to stand up, still trembling a bit.

"I'll help you…" Weiss said. Ruby smiled and started walking towards the tower when a voice called out behind her.

"Do you really think we'd let you stop this, girlie?" Ruby turned around to see a group of thirty White Fang members gathering around them, causing her to growl. "Vale's going to burn whether you like it or not. But before that, we're going to kill each and every one of you," the bear faunus leading the group said.

"And why, might I ask, do you expect us to allow that?" a voice asked as a rift opened up. Janus stepped out, hands behind him as he was flanked by four other Prefects. The rift closed before they quickly took up positions around the students and Winter. "Ruby, Weiss, we'll take care of this. Go."

The bear laughed. "Do you really think it'd only take five of you tin cans to beat all of us?"

Janus hummed, glancing around. "No… I doubt you would be much of a challenge for me alone." He made a gesture before two of the Prefects nodded, moving to stand by Weiss, Winter, and Ruby. "To make it fair, you will only have to fight three of us. Considering your lack of discipline, short tempers, and inability to reason beyond spouting your "humanity must die" nonsense, I expect you'll be able to perhaps scratch one of us." Ruby and Weiss blinked at the sudden shift in Janus' behavior before the White Fang responded.

The White Fang member let out a growl as he charged at Janus, the Prefect standing impassively before lifting a hand when the bear jumped into the air. A pair of rifts opened up in front of him, causing the bear faunus to blink in confusion as he passed through one. As soon as he was halfway through, Janus made a gesture, causing them to suddenly close and cut the faunus in half. The rest of his comrades watched in horror as the bear faunus cried out. "Let this be a lesson to you all," Janus said, stepping over the man's lower body as he walked towards the White Fang. "Next time you intend to cross my threshold, be certain nobody will close the door in your face." He quickly created a small, disc-shaped rift in his hand before casually throwing it into the White Fang's group, removing someone's arm before the deadly vortex continued through their ranks.

Ruby, Weiss, and Winter started moving toward the tower, watching briefly as the White Fang opened fire while Janus created a pair of rifts, sending the bullets back into their own ranks. Ruby shuddered before turning toward the Tower, moving faster as she went.

Eventually they found themselves at the base of the Tower. Ruby quickly turned around and put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, suddenly more serious than the heiress had ever seen her. "Weiss, listen to me for a minute, okay?" Weiss nodded meekly before Ruby continued. "I need you to make sure nothing happens to my cloak, okay? I'm trusting you with a lot right now. You need to promise me that you'll do everything you can to keep it in perfect shape until I get it back, alright?"

Weiss nodded, a look of confusion on her face. "I-I don't understand why it's so important, but alright…"

Ruby looked down meekly. "Don't worry, I'll tell you when I get back down from the fight, okay? Actually, there's a few things I want to talk to you about…"

Weiss nodded and went to create a series of Glyphs before looking at her partner. "Ruby…" Weiss took a deep breath before remembering her sister was there as well. She let out a sigh before smiling weakly. "Be careful, okay?"

Ruby smiled, tail swaying slightly. "I will, I promise!" Weiss glanced up at the wall before creating a line of Glyphs, watching as Ruby ran up the Tower.

The heiress let out a sigh as she wrapped the cloak more tightly around herself. "I love you…" Weiss muttered quietly as she held her hands to her chest under the cloak. The cloak warmed up briefly before returning to its normal temperature, causing the heiress to blink in surprise, never noticing the look Winter gave her.

 **With Cinder and Aurelius**

The Blue Rose let out a groan as he was forced to rely on his semblance to once again evade an attack. His body screamed out in protest at every breath. "I see now. You might be reborn but your new body hasn't adjusted yet. As long as I don't give you a chance to do any Dust magic and force you to stay mobile, I have the advantage," Cinder said as she fired another few arrows at Aurelius. He weakly lifted his arm, creating a Dust barrier before a shrieking started under him. He let out a shuddering sigh as he closed his eyes, diverting his remaining strength to fortify his Aura before the blast sent him flying into a pillar, just at the edge of the platform.

Ruby landed behind them silently, watching in shock as Cinder walked up to him. "Well, isn't this disappointing. Salem always told stories about the Blue Rose being almost untouchable, but it seems that either she was exaggerating or you simply can't keep up any more."

Aurelius opened his eyes, glancing at Ruby before answering. "You might have beaten me this time, but the next time we fight I won't be forced to fight without my full strength." He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Cinder scoffed. "And what makes you think you'll survive for there to be a next time?" The sound of a weapon unfolding behind her made her frown as she turned to look at Ruby. "Oh dear, it seems Roman was right about you. Stubborn and persistent, with no concern for your wellbeing."

Ruby nodded subtly to Aurelius before he rolled off the edge, cloak reappearing before he burst into rose petals. The wolf's eyes shone brightly as she held her scythe in front of her. "My Vigil begins. I will not falter, lest I disgrace those who came before. I will not yield, nor will I abandon those who rely upon me. I will not hesitate, lest I be found wanting…" Ruby took a deep breath before moving into a combat stance, eyes hard. "There aren't any weaknesses for you to exploit this time, Cinder. No help, no distractions. As long as I'm standing, I won't let you leave here after everything you've done."

Cinder blinked before a smile crossed her face. "Well, I guess I'll just have to tear your legs off then." Cinder made a quick gesture, sending a line of fire at Ruby like a whip before the girl spun her scythe, creating a barrier to deflect it. Once the fire dissipated, Ruby swung Crescent Rose in an arc, sending a wave of Frost at Cinder before the other girl jumped into the air. Ruby smiled and with to take another swing when she heard the familiar shriek below her, causing her to roll to the side to escape the blast. Cinder took the time to create a sword and charge forward.

Ruby brought her scythe up and blocked the attack, pushing Cinder away slightly before delivering a slash to her head, piercing through her Aura and cutting into her left eye. Cinder let out a scream as Ruby sighed, rubbing her shoulder. "I'm a much better fighter at close range than Aurelius is right now. Did you really think you'd be able to do anything?" Ruby glanced up at the bullhead circling above, frowning slightly.

Cinder growled before taking a step back, sending another arc of flames at Ruby before the girl jumped over it, sending a surge of lightning towards her and striking her neck, causing the woman to drop to the ground spasming. Ruby twirled her scythe as she stepped forward. "I offer this soul to Thanatos and beg for his mercy on her behalf. May she be judged fairly for her crimes and be given a chance at redemption in the next life." Ruby raised her scythe for a final swing when something fell to the ground nearby, causing her to glance at it. She let out a scream as the flash bang went off, overloading her senses before her Analysis shorted out, causing a sudden, massive headache. Ruby blacked out as the bullhead moved in near Cinder before Mercury and Emerald stepped out.

Mercury started walking over to Ruby before Emerald grabbed him. "Mercury, we don't have _time_ for this! We need to grab Cinder and leave before they decide to bring the entire Tower down to keep us from getting away!" Mercury let out a growl before the two pulled Cinder onto the ship, leaving Ruby there.

Qrow climbed up on top of the tower to find Ruby curled up in a ball. He let out a sigh before he picked her up. "Ruby, I'm so sorry I couldn't be here to help you…" He carefully made his way down the Tower, heading for the evac point.

 **Bastion, Rose Quarter's Hospital**

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she sat next to Ruby, Adrienne in the corner. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, a few tears running down her cheeks.

Adrienne stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Qrow said that he found a flash bang up there. Most likely, whoever rescued Cinder looted one from an Atlesian soldier and decided to use it against Ruby. If she had her Analysis semblance active at the time and wasn't prepared… It's possible the backlash was bad enough to put her in a coma. If that's the case, she should be fine within a week."

Weiss nodded quietly, running her hands along the red fabric in her lap. Adrienne smiled slightly at this. "So, any reason you have Ruby's cloak?"

Weiss blinked in confusion before looking down at it. "She lent it to me before I helped her get up the Tower. She made it sound like a big deal, so I'm making sure there isn't a tear, hole, or wrinkle in it for when she wakes up." Adrienne blinked at her in surprise, eyes wide. "She said she'd explain why after the fight… I guess I'll just have to wait until she wakes up."

"If you want, I can see if my grandpa will tell you some time," Adrienne said slowly. Weiss nodded quietly. "That reminds me, I'm going to go check on him. Do you mind watching Ruby?"

"Y-yeah… I'll keep an eye on her," Weiss said quietly. Adrienne gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking out, a small smile on her face.

Adrienne looked around before she saw a man and a girl walking down the hallway, causing her to frown. "Hey… Aren't you Roman Torchwick?" The man flinched and looked at the Orange Rose meekly.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm here because Red said old Blue would give me a chance to make up for what I've done and I don't want Neo to have to suffer for my greed."

Adrienne hummed. "So are you doing it because Aurelius can fix her voice or-"

"Wait, Blue can do that?! Red never said anything about that!"

Adrienne tapped her chin. "She probably wanted you to come to the decision on your own. Either way, you'll have to talk to Aurelius about it when he's cleared to leave." Roman nodded, tapping his cane against the ground and muttering to himself as Adrienne kept walking, coming to Aurelius' hospital room. She was about to walk in when she heard a voice in the room.

"That was the stupidest, most bull-headed thing I've ever seen anyone do! What on Remnant were you thinking?!" Winter snapped, causing Aurelius to sigh.

"I'm sure you'd say I wasn't, but at the same time I couldn't risk her doing whatever she had planned. With that kind of power, she could have brought the entire cliff face down and buried Vale." Winter ran a hand down her face, letting out a frustrated sigh. "The more important question is, why are you so concerned?"

Winter paused for a moment before she responded. "You've shown yourself to be a wise leader, an interesting conversation companion, and, should you somehow live long enough to recover your strength, a worthy sparring partner," Winter said, getting an amused look from Aurelius. She glared at him briefly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Aurelius hummed before speaking up. "You certainly are an interesting one, aren't you?" Winter took a step back before glaring at him. Adrienne coughed slightly to draw attention to herself before things escalated. "Ah, Adrienne. How's Ruby doing?"

"She's still unconscious. Weiss isn't taking it very well… Ruby… gave Weiss her cloak," Adrienne said hesitantly, causing Aurelius to quickly become serious.

"Does she know the significance of that?" Aurelius asked, causing the Orange Rose to shake her head.

"She said Ruby promised to tell her after the fight, but she's still almost obsessed with keeping it in good shape… Considering Ruby's condition…" Aurelius nodded.

"I'll make sure to tell her the first chance I get. From what I've heard, Ruby and Yang are going to be sent home tomorrow since there's not much they can do to help Yang and Ruby's condition doesn't prevent her from eating liquids." Adrienne nodded. Winter let out a frustrated sigh.

"What could possibly be so important about your cloaks that you get so concerned about this?" she said, causing Aurelius to glance at her.

"I'm too tired to explain it and it's not something we tell outsiders. Most people are lucky enough to know we take them this seriously," he said, closing his eyes. Winter growled quietly before getting up, marching out of the room.

"Get some rest, Auri. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Adrienne said, getting a nod from the Blue Rose. Adrienne was heading back to Ruby's room when she saw a head of black hair sneak out of a nearby hospital room, causing her to frown before she blinked in front of the cat faunus. "And where do you think you're going, Blake?"

Blake staggered back in surprise before looking down. "I'm leaving…"

"Why? Because you can't handle the fight? Or is it because you're scared?" Blake let out a pained growl.

"I'm leaving because Adam's going to hunt down everyone I care about! He was going to kill Yang because I got too close to her!" Blake cried out, tears running down her cheeks. "I don't want to see her or anyone else get hurt because of me!"

Adrienne hummed. "You care about Yang, right?" Blake nodded. "Then why would you abandon her? Whether you like it or not, Adam was going to kill her regardless. If you weren't there, he would have overpowered her sooner. If you didn't speak up, he would have killed her without a second thought and not even Artemis would have been able to save her. Adam didn't try to kill her because you loved her… He wanted to kill her because she was _human_." Blake looked on in horror as the reality set in.

"B-but… He said…" Adrienne quickly placed a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Blake… Leaving won't help anyone. Yang's going to be dealing with a lot of things over the next few days and weeks. She's going to need someone to help her adjust. She's going to need a shoulder to cry on, to help keep her head above water… But most importantly, she's going to need to know that you care about her and that you'll continue to stand by her no matter what. Can you honestly say you'd be able to live with yourself for hurting her that badly when she needs you the most?"

Blake trembled as a sob shook her. "N-no…"

Adrienne smiled sadly, gently leading the girl back into the blonde's hospital room. "Then stay with her. I'm sure the best you could do for her is to be there when she wakes up to help her through it. I'll get you a blanket so you can sleep here, okay?" Blake nodded before she grabbed Yang's remaining hand, laying her head on the bed and crying silently. Adrienne wiped a few tears from her eyes before she grabbed a blanket from the closet, draping it over the girl and walking out of the room.

 **The next two or three chapters are going to be… interesting to say the least. To give an idea, Adrienne and Aurelius are now both aware that Ruby and Weiss have feelings for each other, even if the reason** _ **why**_ **isn't obvious at this point. On top of that, we get to see Adrienne take a break from cleaving through people to try and help mend hearts here. The next few chapters are going to obviously be light on fighting and more related to the aftermath of the battle. Some parts are already set in stone, while others are currently up in the air.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review if you liked it or have input.**


	37. Chapter 37: Anguish, A Rose's Cloak

**The events of Volume 4 won't start for a few chapters, as I said before. JNPR helping Ruby in her trip to Mistral will still happen, but there's going to be a few additions to the group.**

 **Also, this chapter is meant to be emotional. Expect quite a bit from Weiss this chapter, along with a super vulnerable Yang and a bonus scene from Loki that I'm sure many will appreciate.**

 **Cadeliam12- Like I said last chapter, in order to get the Volume 4 events done in time for canon's Volume 5 to start, I'd need to throw out every chapter like this one and compress a number of canon episodes into single chapters, something I'm not too keen on doing. Content won't be abandoned as we move forward, I'm simply trying to decide what to do at that point. Also, the precise threat Dr. Watts presents to the Roses will be discussed in this chapter.**

 **Chapter 37: A Dragon's Anguish and A Rose's Cloak**

 **Patch, Outside the Xiao Long Residence, with Team RWBY, Aurelius, Adrienne, and Winter**

Weiss let out a sigh, carrying Ruby's cloak as she walked alongside the men carrying the wolf faunus into the small house, Blake up ahead with Yang. Before they reached the porch, Weiss felt a hand land on her shoulder and turned to see Aurelius behind her. "Adrienne, can you keep an eye on Ruby for me please? Weiss and I will be back in a few minutes." Weiss went to protest when a glance from the Blue Rose silenced her. Adrienne nodded before heading inside while Winter followed behind. Aurelius started walking off into the woods, using his staff for support.

Eventually, the pair came to a clearing. Aurelius hummed as he sat down, Weiss following quietly. "This should be a good spot for us to speak. Now then…" Aurelius looked Weiss in the eye before he started. "What do you know about a Rose and their cloak?"

Weiss hesitated, thinking back. The memories of the first night at Beacon and the Nevermore piercing Ruby's cloak, as well as the girl's look of terror in both situations, were permanently burned into the heiress' mind. "Well… I know Ruby _really_ doesn't like leaving her cloak out of her sight and she became terrified during the Initiation test when it was damaged… I know she did something to repair it, and there's only five instances where I've seen her without her wearing her cloak. The first is when she's asleep, but she insists on laying on top of it. The second is, presumably, when she takes a shower, but she takes it into the bathroom with her. The third was during the dance. The fourth was after she was… shot…" Weiss took a deep breath to calm herself down. "And the last one was when she gave it to me. Other than that, the times I've seen her without her cloak she seems unwilling to use the transformative aspect of her semblance."

Aurelius nodded. "Most people think a Rose's cloak is some symbol of a deep-rooted vanity, but that's not the case. You see, there's a… _unique_ aspect to the Rose Storm that requires someone to be wearing a cloak or something similar for the semblance to awaken. When that happens, our cloaks become a focus for the Rose Storm's transformative rose petal aspect. It is far easier for us to convert our cloaks into a cloud of rose petals than it is for us to do so with anything else, but it also becomes almost impossible for us to use that aspect or the transitionary aspect without our cloaks."

Weiss listened quietly before she spoke up. "H-how… How does that work exactly?" Weiss swallowed nervously as Aurelius' face grew grim.

"The exact process makes our cloaks both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. Once a Rose's Aura is unlocked or awakened, the next time they wear a cloak or something similar, part of their Aura becomes permanently bound to it, giving it a protection of its own."

Weiss blinked. "How would that work exactly? The only way any creature or object could have an Aura is if it had…" Weiss paled suddenly. "A-a soul?"

Aurelius nodded. "When a member of our family awakens the Rose Storm, part of their soul becomes permanently bound to their cloak…" He gestured to the red fabric in Weiss' hands, causing her gentle grip on it to become a protective embrace. "You hold in your arms part of Ruby's very being." Weiss looked down at the fabric, eyes watering as Aurelius continued. "No Rose has the fortune to know exactly how much of their soul is contained in their cloak, but the Aura protecting a Rose's cloak is always far stronger than their Aura on its own. As I'm sure you've discovered, it's powerful enough to banish any chill or allow them to endure heatwaves."

"Not only that, but this is also why a Rose will never be able to choose the color of their cloak. The shard of their soul within always ensures the color matches that of the rose that best defines who they are and what they want, just as the tips of our hair are always the same color," Aurelius stated.

Weiss looked up nervously. "So… W-what does Ruby's cloak say about her then?"

Aurelius smiled before he spoke up. "Love, romance, courage, and respect. A red rose stands for those four things and any Rose that has a red cloak is also driven by them. Ruby's cloak says that she's driven by a desire to find love and that courage is important to her. A warrior willing to put herself in harm's way for others, driven by a gentle heart."

"I-I see…" Weiss took a moment to process this when a thought crossed her mind. "What would happen if a Rose's cloak is damaged or destroyed?" she asked, silently dreading the answer.

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Any damage to a Rose's cloak results in mental, emotional, and psychological trauma as part of our soul is damaged or torn apart. This is partially because a Rose is intimately aware of anything that happens to their cloak on top of the spiritual damage. If that happens, a Rose can spend time to use their Aura to repair it, so long as parts weren't removed. If that's the case, each piece needs to be recovered and either melded back into the cloak or burned to release the shard of their soul contained within since the soul won't allow each piece to decay naturally for a long time, sometimes _centuries_ after the Rose dies. If pieces are burned, the cloak can be repaired using a new piece of fabric, causing the displaced shards of the soul to bound to them."

Aurelius leaned forward. "As for what happens if a Rose's cloak is _destroyed_ , that depends on each specific Rose and how much of their soul is contained within it. If they're lucky and a smaller portion of their soul is held within their cloak, they would be left in a daze while their soul returns to them. After that, they would need to bind their soul to another cloak to use their full strength again… Unfortunately, not everyone is that lucky and any Rose that suffers through their cloak's destruction when a large part of their soul is contained within will either go mad until their soul recombines or die instantly. Conversely, the condition of a Rose's cloak tells you a great deal about their state of mind. If a Rose is miserable and gives up on everything they care about, their cloak will quickly become tattered on its own."

"Is that why Ruby doesn't want to go near Yang when she's using her semblance?" Weiss asked.

"That's correct. While our cloaks are physical manifestations of our soul, they're still vulnerable to flames. Burn Dust, Burn aspect semblances, and corrupted Maidens are therefore the greatest threat to our existence," Aurelius stated. "Likewise, Frost Dust and Frost aspect semblances are often seen as a major blessing for us."

"When this was discovered the Rose family created a set of rules. A Rose must always ensure their cloak is in pristine condition, they can never take it off or leave it unattended in a room with people they don't trust, and they should never remove it during a fight _or_ give it to someone unless they have absolute faith in them, and even then, only when the situation is dire." Weiss went wide-eyed at this.

"So… Why would she…" The heiress paused as she thought back to the Red Rose's interactions with her since meeting. Every cheerful smile the wolf faunus sent her way, every look of concern… Weiss smiled slightly, tears running down her cheeks. "S-she loves me…"

Aurelius nodded. "She loves you enough to go into a fight without her full strength and risk her own demise rather than risk you dying."

Weiss looked down at the cloak. "Yang told me Ruby was going to ask someone out to the dance but she saw them ask someone else out… I was trying to ask Neptune out to prove to myself that I wasn't falling for her and it didn't work. She must have already been in love with me back then… Even after that she was still willing to be around me, even if it hurt…"

"And it means that she'd like nothing more than to know her feelings were returned," Aurelius said, causing the heiress to look up at him.

"Thank you for telling me this, Aurelius…" Weiss said as she stood up. Aurelius joined her as she started walking back to the house.

"There's no need to thank me… And Weiss…" The heiress looked at the Blue Rose before he put a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember, no matter what happens, there's always a place in the Rose Quarter for you." Weiss' eyes lit up as she smiled.

"T-that means a lot to me…" Weiss said before the man started walking.

"Don't thank me yet, you still need _Qrow's_ approval, and he's not the biggest fan of your family right now…" Weiss looked down, biting her lip at this.

"It doesn't matter… I'm not my family and I'll do whatever I need to do to prove it to him. Ruby's done so much for me and I want to show her I appreciate it," Weiss said.

"That's the spirit, Weiss… I need to head back to Bastion to coordinate the search and rescue operations and tracking down the rest of the White Fang in Vale. Before I go, I'd like you to have this," Aurelius said before he handed Weiss a Scroll with the Rose Crest engraved on it. "With the CCT Tower down, quick communication between the kingdoms is no longer possible. We're working on modifying the Citadel Tower to stand in for the Beacon Tower, but until then we've modified a few Scrolls work using the same principle as the Speakers as well as the CCT network. Even if every CCT Tower is destroyed, you'll be able to use this to contact anyone with another Scroll modified the same way, including Ruby."

Weiss smiled at him. "T-thank you…" Weiss slid it into her pocket before walking into the house.

When she got to Ruby's room, she glanced around, smiling at the drawings on the wall and Grimm figurines on the shelf. _"It's just like Ruby to have a room like this…"_ She glanced at the bed and her smile softened before she walked over. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Ruby's forehead before sitting down. Weiss placed the red cloak in her lap before grabbing Ruby's hand.

 **With Yang and Blake**

Blake let out a sigh as she sat down next to Yang's bed. She gave the blonde's hand a squeeze before laying her head down, looking up at her partner sadly. She was starting to doze off when she felt Yang's arm move. The cat faunus shot up, wide awake as the blonde's eyes opened. "Yang? Are you okay?" Blake asked nervously.

Yang looked at her before letting out a groan, moving to rub her head with her right hand, causing Blake to pale. "W-what… happened…" Yang blinked when she noticed she didn't see her arm, glancing down at the stump. After a moment she went wide-eyed "No… No!" She let out a pained cry as she went to curl up in a ball, only for Blake to put her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Yang! Listen to me! You need to take a deep breath! Everything's going to be fine!" Yang glared at her partner, red eyes glistening as she started crying.

"Fine? _Fine?!_ " Yang pointed at her stump. "How is _this_ fine?!" A sob escaped her lips before she continued. "I'm never going to be a Huntress now! I can't go see the world like this! And I'll never know why my mom…"

Blake quickly wrapped her arms around Yang. "Yang… I know it feels hopeless, but you need to listen. This isn't the end of your hopes and dreams, okay? You're Yang Xiao Long, the most determined, noble person I've met. You've fought Ursai, taken out entire gangs, and you've helped me come to terms with my past. I _know_ you'll get through this. You'll learn how to fight with one arm, you'll still be able to travel the world and help people, and you'll still learn why your mom left. And I'm going to be there for you every step of the way, because I love you!" Blake blushed slightly at the end, but kept a serious face.

Yang looked at her, eyes returning to their normal lilac as tears ran down her cheeks. "P-promise?" she asked meekly.

Blake wrapped her arms around the blonde, trying to show support for her. _"I've never seen her this vulnerable… Have you always been so scared that everyone would abandon you, Yang?"_ Blake thought sadly. "I promise, Yang…" The blonde started sobbing quietly as the cat faunus slid onto the bed, gently rubbing her back. "I'll always be there when you need me."

Yang cried for a bit before she sat up, wiping her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Blake. I shouldn't have exploded at you like that." Blake leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"It's fine, you handled it better than I expected," Blake said with a smile. "Are you feeling better now?"

Yang gave a weak grin. "Yeah, thanks for that, Blake. I'm kind of surprised Rubes didn't hear that. Is she out in town or…" Yang's smile faltered as Blake looked down. "Blake, Ruby's okay… Right?"

Blake looked up apologetically. "Physically, yes, but… She went up to the top of the Beacon Tower to fight Cinder. We're not sure what happened, only that Qrow found her up there out cold with a flash bang next to her. Considering how she uses her secondary in most big fights and how sensitive her sight and hearing are normally…" Blake let out a sigh, running her hands through her hair. "She's in a coma, Yang. Weiss is in her room keeping an eye on her."

Yang looked down, clenching her fist. "Why does that keep happening to her? It just seems like she can never catch a break…" Blake put her hand on top of Yang's.

"I don't know, I really don't. But I'm sure she'll be fine, right?" Yang nodded quietly before her stomach growled, causing Blake to roll her eyes. "Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

Yang rubbed the back of her neck. "Um, maybe something simple? A sandwich, some popcorn, something like that?"

Blake smiled. "Sure, we could watch a movie if you want. To help take your mind off things."

Yang smiled weakly. "Y-yeah, I'd like that… maybe ditch the bow for a bit too?" Blake smiled at the blonde.

"I'll think about it, okay?" she said, causing Yang to pout a bit. She helped the blonde up and started to lead her out of the room.

"By the way, Blake?" The cat faunus turned to look at her curiously as she looked down meekly, a light blush on her cheeks. "I… I love you too."

Blake rolled her eyes before giving Yang a quick kiss. "I know you do Yang. Come on, let's go watch a movie."

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center, with Loki and Janus**

"This is ridiculous! Do you _know_ who I am?" a white-haired man in an all-white suit roared at Loki from the screen. The Prefect glanced at him disinterestedly.

"No, I don't believe I do. I'm afraid I missed your name the first five times you gave it," Loki said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm asking you for _one_ thing, you hunk of scrap metal! I want to know where my daughter is!"

"I'm _sorry_ , Mr. Schnee, but I can't help you with that right now. I know you're worried about your daughter's safety in what amounts to a warzone, but we can't allow _any_ civilian craft into the area around Vale until we know for certain there's no anti-air defenses or White Fang waiting in ambush and we're currently busy trying to locate almost a hundred people in the ruins. I know this must be an _extreme_ inconvenience for you, but orders are orders." Loki giggled quietly as a vein bulged on Jacques' neck.

"Listen here. I'm going to give you one last chance to do what I've said. If Weiss isn't on my ship in half an hour, I _will_ bar Dust exports to your floating city!"

Loki made an exaggerated gasp. "Oh no! Please don't do that Mr. Schnee! Our city only has a massive self-replenishing Dust Crystal that could power us for eternity! Please don't rob us of the _zero crates of Dust_ we need to import to keep our society alive!" Loki chuckled as Jacques turned red with rage. "Please, you seem to forget we don't _need_ your company to function. You hold _no_ sway here. You're going to have to follow the same rules as everyone else. When the situation is resolved, we will _attempt_ to contact you to inform you. Once that occurs, you may go through the _proper_ channels to locate your daughter."

Jacques growled. "I'll be back in a few days. I don't care if it's "safe" by then, I _will_ be getting my daughter. Is that clear?"

Loki scoffed. "Only if you go through the proper channels Mr. Schnee. Now please, do me a favor and get out of my face." Loki quickly cut the connection, causing Janus to look at him.

"You are aware we're supposed to allow them to land in Bastion to see if they're here, right?" Janus said, causing Loki to shrug.

"Yeah, but I _really_ just wanted to tell him to fuck off…"

Janus let out a sigh. "Of course I need to write a report about this situation now…"

 **With Winter and Aurelius**

"So, Ironwood wants you to help out with the search and rescue before heading back," Aurelius stated simply, glancing down at the tablet in his hand. The transport shook as they continued the flight.

"That's correct. He feels that we need to show as much support for the people of Vale as possible and I was selected to stay behind to assist," Winter said.

"Strange. From what I heard, the assignment was volunteers only," Aurelius said, glancing at her curiously. She growled and looked away.

"I felt that it would be best if Atlas' most capable soldiers remained behind to assist." Aurelius hummed.

"They could have done well enough as it was. I'm more curious about why you selected this assignment when being around me seems to make you so uncomfortable."

"What do you mean?" Winter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've asked you a series of questions, on in each of our encounters beyond our initial meeting, and every single one either received no answer or an evasive response," Aurelius stated, causing Winter to blink. "I find it odd that you would fail to find an answer that would be acceptable or that you can't look me in the eye when you do attempt to find one."

Winter growled. "Perhaps it's because I get the impression you're judging or evaluating me for some reason whenever you're looking at me!" Aurelius glanced at her before responding.

"Perhaps it's because I feel as though there's more to you than the disciplined, strict soldier you appear to be and I'm trying to decide if that's true." Winter's glare faltered as the tablet chimed in Aurelius' hand. "Ah, it seems there's been an incident involving Loki…" He read through it before a slightly amused expression crossed his face. "I'm not sure how to handle this, but it appears he got into an argument with your father." Winter blinked in surprise before taking the tablet from the Blue Rose.

She glanced through the report before smiling slightly. "I doubt my father expected for anyone to ever refuse his demands. This should be… interesting." She quickly handed the device back to Aurelius, who let out a sigh. Winter glanced out the window, thinking quietly about what Aurelius mentioned earlier.

 **This chapter was fun to write. Bumblebee is now official in this, but White Rose is obviously still in the air and only one step from being official, depending on how I decide to have the next few chapters go.**

 **I felt that having a scene with Loki trolling Jacques would be fun to do and explain why he doesn't show up and drag Weiss off immediately. Let me know what you think of it.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.**


	38. Chapter 38: Confessions, Searches

**I'm really glad people liked the last chapter, especially Loki's part. I've actually spent quite a bit of time thinking about the situation regarding White Rose and I'd like to apologize in advance for the next few chapters.**

 **Special thanks to Bookah for helping me brainstorm ways to make this chapter possibly one of my favorites to write.**

 **Just a warning. This chapter is meant to be** _ **beyond**_ **sweet. If you're liable to have a squee moment and are in a position where that could cause problems, please wait until a better time to read it.**

 **Chapter 38: Confessions, Searches**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, With Weiss**

 _Weiss looked around and realized she was back in Amity Colosseum, paling as the realization sank in._ "No, not this dream again. Anything but this…" _Weiss looked down to see Ruby turning to face Mercury before she threw herself at the barrier. The heiress tried to scream, to warn her partner about what was going to happen, but no sound escaped her. Ruby staggered from the first gunshot and blinked in confusion before the second one knocked her backwards. Weiss let out a pained cry as the barrier fell and she ran to her partner, tears pouring down her cheeks._ "Please just let me wake up!" _Weiss dropped to her knees as she saw Ruby laying on the ground, a gaping hole in her chest._

"No!" Weiss cried out as she shot up in her chair after Yang went to grab her shoulder. The blonde took a step back as Weiss let out a quiet sob, tears running down her cheeks.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" the blonde asked cautiously. Weiss looked around, taking a deep breath before responding.

"I-I don't know…" She said, holding Ruby's cloak to her chest as she looked down.

Yang frowned and grabbed a chair, sitting down across from Weiss. "Having nightmares involving the pup?" Weiss looked up in surprise. "I know the incident at the tournament was only four days ago, but you haven't had much sleep since then and I saw you wake up to check on Rubes the night before the Battle of Beacon." Yang gave the heiress a small smile. "C'mon, it's obvious you like Ruby, so why don't you just get what's bothering you off your chest?" Weiss shuddered at the saying, causing Yang to frown.

Weiss took a deep breath, looking down at her crush. "You know that if she hadn't moved, Ruby would be dead right now, right?" Yang nodded slowly, a serious look on her face. "When I realized that… I-it was all I could think about for _hours_. The thought that I'd never be able to tell her how I felt, that I'd never know how she felt for me…" Weiss let out a sigh. "The only reason I tried getting any sleep was because I promised Winter I would, but…"

Yang leaned forward. "The thought was so terrifying you couldn't get away from it, could you?"

Weiss shook her head. "N-no… and to make matters worse I'm going to need to go into town to buy new clothes since our dorm was destroyed, so I'm going to have to leave her alone eventually…"

Yang hummed quietly before she smiled at the white-haired girl. "Well, I think Rubes probably has a spare set of pajamas laying around somewhere. It's all black, but it's better than nothing, right?" The blonde stood up and pulled open a drawer in Ruby's dresser, trying her best to search through the clothes inside. "C'mon, you can even use the spare bed in here. Once I find you some stuff, Blake's going to help me make some dinner. Do you want to join us?"

Weiss looked down at Ruby. "I think I'd rather stay here…"

Yang let out a sigh. "Weiss, I know you really want to be here when Ruby wakes up, but we both know the _last_ thing she wants is for you to be tired, hungry, and miserable when she does. C'mon, I'm sure she'll forgive you for getting something to eat." Yang quickly handed the heiress a black, long-sleeved button up pajama top and matching pajama bottoms. "Here, maybe you'll feel better after a shower. Yesterday was pretty hard and unlike Ruby or me, you haven't had a chance to get cleaned up. Hell, Blake even took a break from worrying about me to get a shower." Weiss deflated and took the offered clothes, causing Yang to grin. "The bathroom's the second door down, okay?"

"Alright, thanks Yang," Weiss said, causing the blonde to pat her on the shoulder.

"Hey, I know we didn't really get off on the right foot and I can be annoying, but thanks for taking care of my sister. Just… Try not to hurt her. She's been through a lot already."

Weiss looked down at the wolf faunus, frowning sadly. "I know… I promise I'll never do anything to intentionally hurt her." Yang smiled.

"C'mon, when you're done we're making some soup." Weiss nodded, heading down the hallway into the bathroom. Weiss locked the door and went to get out of her dress when she paused.

" _Wait… I don't have any underwear to change into,"_ she thought with a blush. _"I-I mean… It's only for one night or until Ruby wakes up. It's not like anyone would notice… Right?"_ Weiss nodded to herself, placing her clothes in the hamper before stepping into the shower. She let out a sigh as the water ran down her before she started washing. When she finished, she quickly stepped out and dried herself off, quickly putting on the pajamas before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Yang, just let me take care of that before you drop it!" Weiss heard as she stepped down the stairs, bare feet moving along the wooden floors.

"C'mon Blake, I want to help…" Weiss paused as she heard the meek town to Yang's voice, frowning slightly. "I need to learn how to take care of this, right? Please?"

Blake let out a sigh. "Okay… Just be careful with it, alright?" Weiss felt something nuzzle against her, causing her to look down at Zwei. She smiled slightly before stepping into the room to see Yang trying to pour some soup into a bowl while Blake was in a similar outfit to the blonde. After a bit of effort, the blonde managed to fill the bowl with a grin. "Alright, I'm sorry I doubted you Yang."

Yang went to respond when she noticed Weiss walk into the room. "Hey Weiss, glad you could join us!"

Blake turned to look at Weiss, giving the heiress to notice the lack of a bow. "Hello Blake, I see Yang managed to convince you to forego the bow?" the heiress asked.

Blake scratched the back of her head meekly. "Yeah. I mean, it's just the four of us, right?" Weiss nodded before Blake continued. "How's Ruby doing?"

Weiss grabbed a bowl with a sigh, filling it up. "She's still not awake…" Weiss glanced at the cat faunus. "How much damage did the flash bang do to her?"

Blake looked down as she got a bowl for herself, the trio sitting down at the table. "It all depends on how far away the flash bang was and exactly how her Analysis works. She might wake up in a few minutes, or it might be a few weeks. All I know is when she does wake up, her hearing's going to be pretty bad for a few days and she's probably going to be off balance for a while… And that's not counting the possibility that she suffers permanent hearing loss from her wolf ears if it was bad enough."

Weiss looked down at her soup sadly. "I…see. Thank you for being honest with me, Blake." Weiss ate quietly for a moment before Yang spoke up.

"Weiss… I'm sure she'll be fine, okay? Then you can tell her how you feel and share your-"

"Yang Xiao Long, I swear, if you make a "puppy love" pun I will make you regret it," Weiss growled, causing the blonde to go quiet.

"She's right though," Blake said. "I'm not sure what kind of damage it did to her or if it can be fixed…" Blake gestured in the vague direction of Bastion. "But no matter what, she's going to want to know you care about her." Yang smiled at Blake before Zwei barked from the door.

"Ah, hang on, I've gotta go let Zwei out, I'll be back in a minute," Yang said before she walked out of the room.

Weiss took a sip from her bowl before glancing up at Blake. "I assume it was difficult to deal with Yang's jokes when you needed a change of clothes?" Blake looked up, a bemused expression on her face.

"Surprisingly no. I was expecting her to make more than a few jokes about me wanting to get into her pants, but she hasn't said a word about it except that she wasn't going to share her underwear. Actually, except for the joke she tried to tell a moment ago, she's kept the puns to a minimum since she woke up… I think learning that her mom left after she was born made her self-conscious that people she cares about will abandon her. On top of the panic at losing her arm…"

Weiss nodded, a frown on her face. "She's vulnerable right now and scared that if she's not careful she'll drive you off."

Blake looked down. "Y-yeah. It's endearing, but I don't think I've ever wanted to hear her puns until today. It's just… Not like Yang to be this vulnerable."

Weiss leaned forward. "You said it yourself though, she's always been insecure about people leaving her. How do we know how she was before wasn't just a mask and this is the real Yang? There's obviously some parts of her that haven't changed, though."

Blake looked toward the door. "I just hope she gets better soon though."

"We all do. It's just like me with Ruby. All either of us can do is wait and be here to support the two of them when they need it," Weiss said, letting out a yawn.

Blake smiled slightly. "You've had an exhausting last few days. At most, you've had about ten hours of sleep that I know of since Ruby's… incident."

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh. "I know, I'm just… not looking forward to sleeping." Blake raised an eyebrow, causing Weiss to look down. "I've been dealing with nightmares."

"I see," Blake said. "So that's why you've been so anxious lately." Weiss nodded before standing up.

"Regardless, I should try to get some sleep, as much as I'm dreading it…" Blake nodded. "Good night, Blake."

"Good night, Weiss. Hopefully you can actually get some sleep tonight." Weiss nodded before getting up to wash her bowl. Once that was done, she went upstairs. Blake went to wash the remaining dishes before Yang walked in, yawning quietly. "I'll take the couch, okay?" Blake asked, causing Yang to look down.

"A-actually… Could you spend the night with me? Please? I don't really want to be alone right now…" Yang said meekly, causing Blake to smile.

"Sure." The two went upstairs, going into Yang's room. Yang let out a sigh before sliding into her bed, giving Blake a chance to lay down before trying to get the blanket over the two of them. The cat faunus rolled her eyes before moving over the blonde, grabbing the blanket from her and pulling the blanket over them.

"Thanks Blake… Good night…"

Blake smiled. "Good night. I love you."

Yang smiled and gave Blake a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you too." Yang lay her head on Blake's shoulder before dozing off, the cat faunus smiling gently before she fell asleep.

 **Ruby's Room**

Weiss let out a sigh as she sat down next to Ruby. Even though the last few days had left her exhausted, she wasn't willing to try to get sleep yet. "Ruby…" she muttered quietly, brushing a stray hair out of the girl's face. She stopped when the girl let out a quiet groan. Weiss leaned forward nervously. "R-Ruby?"

The wolf faunus let out a groan as she opened her eyes, a hand going to her head. "My head hurts…" she whined before sitting up, looking around the room. _"I guess after the battle there weren't many hospitals left standing…"_ Ruby quickly noticed her partner and crush sitting next to her, a bright smile on her face even as tears ran down her cheeks. "Weiss? Why are you wearing my pa-" Weiss jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck. Ruby blinked in surprise before returning the hug. _"This feels nice, but…"_ "Weiss? What's going on?"

Weiss took a deep breath. "Aurelius told me about your cloak and what it means." Ruby froze slightly, panicking internally. "He said that if you gave me your cloak when you did, you have to really care about me… That you _love_ me." Weiss pulled back slightly, giving Ruby the same soft smile that always made the Red Rose's heart to flutter. "A-and I just wanted to tell you… I love you too." Ruby's eyes went wide as she processed this, a smile slowly creeping onto her face as tears rand down her cheeks.

"R-really? You mean it?" Ruby asked shyly, a blush on her cheeks.

Weiss rolled her eyes before looking her crush in the eye with a blush of her own. "Of course I do, dolt. I love you." Ruby smiled before pulling the girl into a kiss, causing Weiss to let out a content sigh. Ruby quickly pulled Weiss into her lap as the heiress wrapped her arms around the faunus' neck. Finally, after more than half a year, Ruby could show her partner how she felt and Weiss let out the pent-up frustration she'd felt since before the dance. Before it could go any further, Weiss felt something brush against her rear, causing her to break away with a squeak. "R-Ruby!" she yelled, blushing.

Ruby blushed slightly, starting to pull her hands away. "I'm so sorry Weiss! I don't know what came over me!" Weiss felt the wolf's fingers freeze before the girl turned as red as her cloak. "U-um, Weiss… Are you… _not_ wearing panties?" Weiss let out an embarrassed squeal before she jumped out of the bed, curling up in a corner.

"I didn't have a choice! Our dorm got destroyed and it was either that or try to borrow underwear from you or Yang!" Ruby blushed.

"Um… How about we juuust pretend this didn't happen, okay? O-or at least try to?"

Weiss let out a desperate sigh. "Oh god, can we please? I think I'm going to die if embarrassment if we don't."

Ruby nodded, blushing slightly as Weiss walked back over. "Are you okay, though? You've been kinda… tense lately."

Weiss let out a tired sigh. "I haven't been able to get much sleep since the incident in the Colosseum… I've been having nightmares about it and every time I try to get some sleep, I'm afraid I'll have to see you get murdered in my dreams." Weiss looked at Ruby, tears in her eyes. The faunus quickly pulled her partner down into a hug, gently rubbing her back. "The thought I'd never be able to tell you how I felt… I was going to say something when you woke up in the hospital but your brute of a sister had to ruin the moment and I lost my nerve."

Ruby giggled a bit. "Yeah, she does that sometimes…" Ruby went wide-eyed. "Oh gods, Yang! Is she-"

"She's fine… _mostly_." Weiss said quickly. "She lost her right arm and she's almost falling apart, but Blake's helping her hold it together. She's… different I suppose, but she's still the same brutish blonde you grew up with."

Ruby let out a sigh. "That's a relief I guess…" Ruby looked at the heiress meekly. "So… When did you…"

"When did I fall in love with you?" Weiss asked, getting a nod from Ruby. "I suppose I started to notice a certain attraction to you during the game in the library when you were almost nuzzled against me." Ruby blushed. "And you?"

"Well… I don't know, but I was certain I'd started to fall for you during the concert when you smiled at me," Ruby said meekly, causing Weiss to look at her in surprise.

"Ruby, that was _months_ ago! If we were lucky, that was a month into our first semester!" Ruby let out a frustrated sigh before Weiss continued. "You were going to ask me to the dance, weren't you?" Ruby scratched the back of her head meekly.

"Yeah… I was trying to decide if I should ask you to the dance or just ask you to go on a walk with me or something…" Ruby hummed. "When did you know you were in love with me though?"

Weiss looked down meekly. "When you danced with me and said that it was worth the backlash you'd deal with, I knew I was in love with you. I swore I'd win your heart and I wouldn't let anything stand between us."

Ruby grinned. "I remember that, seeing your smile was the best part of the night for me."

Weiss smiled slightly, a blush on her cheeks. "You're such a dolt sometimes, you know that, right?"

"But I'm _your_ dolt, right?" Ruby said with a smile before she realized what she said. "I-I mean, if you're fine with that. If not, I'm fine waiting. After all, a few more days wouldn't be too much, right?" Ruby's rambling was cut off as Weiss placed a finger on the girl's lips.

"I will admit I like the sound of that, but perhaps we should have dinner tomorrow to make it official," Weiss said, causing Ruby to smile.

"You mean like a date?!" Weiss rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips.

"Yes, dolt, a date. I would prefer a chance to celebrate our new relationship." Ruby let out a squeal, holding Weiss tight.

"Thank you, Weiss."

"You're welcome, Ruby. But, um…" Weiss blushed. "Do you mind if I stay here? Just in case?"

Ruby smiled, pulling Weiss under the blanket. "Sure, I don't mind. If what you said is true, it'd be easier for me to be here anyways, right?" Weiss nodded before Ruby gave her a quick peck. "I love you, Weiss."

The heiress smiled as she lay her head on Ruby's chest. "I love you too, Ruby."

 **Bastion Docks, with Winter, Aurelius, and Janus**

"The Aurora destroyed approximately 28% of Vale before its own annihilation," Janus stated as they walked along the dock. "Much of the damage was restricted to residential areas and the commercial district. We were only able to evacuate 60% of the city's population before the Aurora was compromised. At present, we have accounted for all but 3,245 of Vale's citizens, with 5,490 confirmed deaths to Grimm, White Fang attacks, or bombardment. However, a number of shelters have failed to report in, so the number could be much higher."

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh. "We are potentially looking at tens of thousands of deaths as a result of several hours of fighting. The brutality is unforgivable." Aurelius glanced at Winter, noticing the distant look on her face as she looked down on the city. "Schnee!" She quickly jumped out of her daze. "Are you well? You seem… distracted."

"Yes. Forgive me, I simply trying to process the scope of the destruction," Winter said. While this was partially true, the Specialist had a number of things on her mind.

Aurelius nodded. "Until Athena completes the modifications, we won't be able to contact the outside world or inform Ironwood if we need support. As it stands, I need you to assist in rescue operations in the residential districts. You can start from the east while I start in the west. Is that acceptable?"

"It is. I'll begin organizing search patterns immediately," Winter said before turning toward a nearby Roc. Once she was on board, Janus turned toward the Blue Rose.

"Aurelius, why must you torment her so? You know very well what bothers her and yet you continue to let her struggle through it."

Aurelius hummed. "She needs to learn for herself. While she seeks knowledge of the world, knowledge of the self requires one to be willing to learn it. Once she realizes what it is that's troubling her, she can take the next steps to becoming who she was meant to be." Janus let out a grunt before Aurelius started moving to the nearby transport, letting out a sigh. Picking through the remains was never something he enjoyed.

 **This chapter was fun to write. Small scenes that were meant to be of little importance ended up changing and eventually dominating the entire chapter, but I'm very pleased with how it turned out.**

 **White Rose is now a thing and, as Weiss hinted, she is perfectly fine with the thought of being a couple right now.**

 **Yang might seem out of character, but it's important to remember that in canon a major part of her motivation to become a huntress was to find her mother and find out why Raven abandoned her. If you pay attention to the last episode of Volume 3, you also might notice that her frustration and anger at Blake running may be just as bad, if not worse, than her misery at losing her arm, which means either she's come to terms with losing her arm or she's simply more fixated on Blake, both of which suggest that she might be more afraid of being abandoned by the people she cares about than she is of losing her arm.**

 **As a result, it wasn't too much of a stretch to me for me to combine the two to give us the Yang we have now: a girl that's terrified of being left alone with nobody that cares for her and hides it behind her confident attitude and endless puns. She'll eventually regain her confidence and playful nature, but the events of the last few chapters will leave a lasting mark on her as she starts to occasionally show a more subdued, thoughtful side of her, such as when she talked with Blake at the café.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	39. Chapter 39: Scars, Discontent

**I'm really glad people liked the last chapter. I was intending to have the date scene take place in this chapter, but I decided to add another scene near the beginning and wanted to address something in this chapter, as you'll see by the chapter's title. As a result, I'm going to have the date** _ **hopefully**_ **be a chapter all on its own with a small unrelated scene near the beginning. I'd like to apologize for this change in plans when I'm sure** _ **many**_ **people were looking forward to it, but I felt the date would be overshadowed if I didn't do this.**

 **There's going to be a bit of a callback to Aurelius' remark near the beginning of the Battle of Beacon in this chapter. Also, a minor character from way back is making a reappearance.**

 **Lastly, before I start I'd like to apologize for this chapter not being posted yesterday, but between headaches and something messing up my sleep lately I've been having a bit of trouble focusing on writing the last few days. Most likely what's going to end up happening is I might just spend the day after this chapter comes out resting a bit before I try to adjust my routine to start writing earlier in the day. This means that, most likely, the next few chapters won't be coming out daily until I can figure out a routine that lets me write without being completely exhausted for no real reason.**

 **Chapter 39: Scars, Discontent**

 **Bastion, Citadel Council Chamber**

"You can't be serious, Councilor Colvin!" Greene shouted, glaring at the head of the Valian Council. The man sat in front of the Valian banner on the right-hand side of the large room, glaring down at the fox faunus. "We're just as much citizens of Atlas as any human is! Just because the White Fang attacked doesn't make us all monsters!"

Winter glanced at the man in disappointment. After Ironwood returned to Atlas, she found herself in representing Atlesian interests in regards to the attack on Vale. "I must admit that your reaction to this incident is excessive and will make things far more difficult than they need to be, Councilor."

Colvin leaned back in his chair. "Is it? The majority of the White Fang members involved in the attack were citizens of Vale. We should have the right to ensure there's no threats of a future attack such as this happening."

Aurelius let out a sigh, tapping his staff against the ground while Adrienne crossed her arms. He glanced over at Colvin in annoyance. "By putting restrictions on every faunus' ability to travel and own weapons? Many of the faunus in Vale were injured in the fighting as well, and more than a few like Ms. Greene here even risked their lives to defend the city. Your _solution_ is to cast as wide a net as possible and place oppressive restrictions on anyone within. Have you forgotten what led up to the Faunus Rights Revolution?" Aurelius asked.

Colvin stood up, glaring at the Blue Rose. "Are you serious? What about everything that's happened since? Near-constant protests, disruption of commerce, riots, assassinations, and now _this_! Jacques Schnee was right, the faunus-" The Councilor went quiet as a gale erupted in the room, causing Adrienne to shrink back.

"I don't care what you think, Colvin, but if you _ever_ say Jacques Schnee is right about anything, _especially_ this, ever again, being barred from these meetings will be the least of your concerns," Aurelius growled. Colvin nodded nervously before the storm died down a bit. "Now, get out before I drag you out." Colvin quickly got out of his seat and ran to the door. Aurelius let out a sigh when it closed, the winds stopping.

Winter glanced at the man, frowning slightly. "I wasn't aware you felt so strongly about my father."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Back before I regained my memory I had a few… _encounters_ with your father. As I'm sure you can imagine, we didn't agree on much back then, and we would agree on even less now. This is mostly centered around his insistence that faunus are vastly inferior to humans… However, that isn't relevant for the current situation." Aurelius glanced down at Greene, causing her to swallow nervously. "I have promised to welcome all refuges of Vale onto the Bastion. If Colvin does enact these requirements, I am willing to make allow anyone currently living here to become citizens in order to escape this madness." Greene let out a relieved sigh before she spoke up.

"There's still the dilemma of what to do with the captured White Fang members… Many of them are completely irredeemable, but a small number such as a rabbit that's identified herself solely as Rouge have shown to be less supportive of the group's overall goals. Rouge, for instance, claims that she is a doctor and was a member since before it turned violent and had little choice but to remain in the organization if she didn't want her practice destroyed."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Try to find out if any of them are willing to turn their backs on the White Fang. At this point, we need any medical professionals we can get." Greene nodded before leaving the room.

Once the door closed, Winter looked at Aurelius with a frown. "Are you sure that's wise? Even if they aren't willing to work with the White Fang, it's still entirely possible they will be coerced into continuing to help them."

"The White Fang exists solely because the faunus weren't given the equal rights and respect they deserved. People like Jacques and Colvin insist that the only solution to this is to put pressure on the faunus to make their lives harder," Aurelius stated before he glanced at Winter. "By doing so, they will inevitably cause more people to join the White Fang. The simplest way to destroy the White Fang is to take away any moral high ground they can claim to have. Remove any pressure against the faunus and they won't feel pressured into joining the White Fang. Remove all traces of inequality and all sympathy for them will evaporate. Enough lives are ruined by madmen on both sides and the world has seen enough misery and death from this."

Winter raised an eyebrow, smiling subtly. _"Perhaps there really_ is _more to him than I thought."_ "So, I see the Blue Rose actually has a heart."

Aurelius glanced at her for a moment before smiling. "Ah, I didn't expect you to attempt to taunt me, Schnee. It's an almost, dare I say it, carefree reaction that I wouldn't consider you capable of." She blinked in surprise before looking away, frowning with a slight blush on her face. "However, I will admit that the fact Jacques' viewpoint on the matter is contagious is more than a little concerning. This belief that faunus are nothing more than savages or mindless animals needs to be dealt with immediately." Winter glanced at the Blue Rose uneasily for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"We should return to the search and rescue operations," Winter said as she stood up, heading toward the door. Aurelius hummed before moving to follow, Adrienne in tow.

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, Ruby's Bedroom**

Ruby let out a quiet yawn as the sun's rays slipped into the window, moving to get up when she felt a weight on her chest. Looking down, she smiled at the peaceful expression of her teammate, partner, and… Ruby paused for a moment, smile wavering. _"I know she said she was fine with the idea of us being in a relationship, but she did say she wanted to go on a date to make it official… Is it too early to call her my girlfriend?"_ Ruby sighed and ran her hand through Weiss' hair, smiling to herself. _"At least I can hold her like this for a while…"_

Weiss let out a yawn, inhaling the scent of strawberries before lifting herself off Ruby slightly to rub her eyes. As soon as she realized where she was, she looked down at the girl under her and smiled. "Good morning, Ruby."

"Hey Weiss, did you sleep well?" Ruby asked, a caring smile on her face.

Weiss smiled. "I did actually…" She leaned up and gave Ruby a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you for that."

Ruby grinned. "You don't have to thank me, Weiss, I'm just trying to be a good gir-um…" Ruby looked down meekly before Weiss giggled.

"It's okay Ruby, I think you're being an excellent girlfriend so far," Weiss said, humming to herself at the sound of that. Ruby smiled brightly before hugging Weiss.

After a moment Ruby pulled away. "Come on, we should get breakfast and get ready for today," the wolf said excitedly, causing Weiss to smile.

"Alright, I'm sure you've waiting long enough for this date," the heiress said as she climbed up, stretching slightly. Ruby tried desperately to ignore the thin strip of skin the was exposed as the top rose slightly. Weiss looked at her before speaking up. "I'll put your pajamas in the washing machine and give them back when they're done, alright?"

Ruby blushed and looked away. "Y-you can keep them, Weiss. You look really cute wearing that." Weiss blushed and started meekly playing with the hem of the shirt.

"Okay, thank you, Ruby," she muttered with a smile. Ruby went to stand up before staggering forward. Weiss quickly moved forward, grabbing her. "Ruby, are you okay?"

Ruby scratched the back of her head shyly. "Yeah, just a little dizzy…"

"Blake said you might have an issue with balance for a while. Just be careful, okay?" Weiss asked, getting a nod from Ruby. As the two made it to the staircase, Weiss helped the wolf faunus down the stairs. Ruby took a deep breath and let out a content sigh before the smell of bacon and eggs hit Weiss. She grinned at Ruby, gently pulling her along. "Come on, I'm sure you must be pretty hungry."

Ruby whined slightly. "Y-yeah… I haven't had a chance to eat anything since before Pyrrha's match." The two walked into the kitchen to see Blake making breakfast with Yang trying to help her.

"Yang, just relax. I'll take care of this, okay?" Blake said with a gentle smile, causing Yang to let out a sigh.

"Alright, I'll try, but you know I'm worried about-"

"Hey Yang," Ruby said with a smile, causing the blonde and the cat faunus to turn around in surprise. "Hey Blake."

"Ruby! You're awake!" Yang said with a smile and walked over, carefully wrapping her arm around the wolf. "How are you feeling?"

Ruby opened her mouth to answer when her stomach groaned. She blushed and put a hand on her stomach, looking at the blonde sheepishly. "I'm starving. How long was I out?"

Yang stepped away with a frown, grabbing a glass of orange juice. "Well, if you just woke up this morning, I think a day and a half."

Ruby scratched the back of her head as she sat down at the table. "Um, I kinda woke up last night, but okay… That's still almost two days without eating anything."

Yang winced before a thought crossed her mind. "You woke up last night?" Ruby nodded. "So… Did the two of you manage to talk?" The blonde glanced between Ruby and Weiss as the two looked at each other with a smile.

"Yeah, we were able to finally sort through things," Weiss said, causing Yang to grin.

"Awesome, so how'd it go?" the blonde asked.

Ruby blushed slightly. "W-well, Weiss agreed to go on a date with me, so I figure I'll show her around Patch and get dinner."

Yang let out a groan. "Aw, why didn't I think of that?" She glanced at Blake meekly. "Actually, there's a small library in town, maybe we could take a look?"

Blake smiled. "Sure, maybe I'll find something interesting to read."

Yang grinned before putting a plate in front of Ruby. "C'mon, eat up!" Ruby smiled gratefully before she started eating. Yang sat down with her own plate as Weiss and Blake joined them. "So, other than not eating in two days, how do you feel?"

Ruby hummed. "Well, I felt pretty dizzy when I got up, but other than that, I'm fine. How are you handling…" Ruby gestured to Yang's missing arm, causing the blonde to frown.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm still kinda upset about it, but Blake's helping me adjust. I'd probably have fallen apart if it wasn't for her," Yang said, glancing at the cat faunus with a smile. Blake looked down, blushing slightly.

"It's nothing, really Yang. You've helped me when I was at my weakest and I'm happy to help you," Blake said before Yang gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Still, it means a lot to me…" Yang said.

Ruby smiled. "I'm glad the two of you finally got together." She put her fork down with a sigh before taking her plate to the sink. "Thanks for making breakfast. I'll clean up if you want."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Ruby… Let Yang and me worry about that. You and Weiss should focus on your date." Yang nodded cheerfully as she hopped up.

Ruby smiled and gave the duo a quick hug. "Thanks guys, I hope the two of you enjoy your day…" The two nodded at her before she turned to Weiss. "I'll let you use the shower first, okay?" Weiss nodded before helping Ruby upstairs.

Weiss was pleased to find her dress and underwear had already been washed, choosing not to comment on it for fear of bringing the previous night's incident to mind. She collected her clothes and quickly made her way into the bathroom. Ruby walked to her closet and started searching through it, letting out a sigh. _"I guess I shouldn't wear anything that's too much like my normal outfit, but all that'd leave me with is a few dresses…"_ She let out a frustrated sigh as she continued looking, not noticing Weiss walk in.

"You still haven't picked anything?" Ruby jumped and turned around sheepishly as she looked at her girlfriend. Much to her surprise, Weiss had chosen to leave her hair down and left her bolero off, exposing her shoulders and arms. Ruby blushed slightly.

"Wow Weiss, you look nice without the jacket… thing," Ruby said, trying to figure out what to say.

Weiss blushed slightly. "Dolt, it's just the same thing I always wear. And the "jacket thing" is called a bolero. I felt that it was too… formal for today." She glanced into the closet, frowning slightly. "So, what's wrong?"

Ruby looked down meekly. "I… didn't want to wear what I normally wear and all I have besides that are tank tops or dresses that expose my shoulders."

Weiss looked at Ruby quizzically. "Is that all? I don't see what-" Ruby let out a sigh and quickly unbuttoned the top button on her shirt, blushing slightly. Before Weiss could scold her girlfriend, Ruby pulled the fabric away from her right shoulder, exposing a small, circular scar. "Oh…" Weiss said as she processed what she was looking at.

Ruby quickly buttoned her shirt back up, looking down. "I didn't… I didn't want to have to sit there with everyone looking at a reminder of my failure to defend myself. Not only that, but I figured you wouldn't want to be reminded of it considering…" Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, her other hand gently tracing the scar along her eye.

"Ruby… I never told you where I got this, did I?" she asked, causing Ruby to shake her head. The young wolf would be lying if she said she hadn't looked through pictures of Weiss to find out when she got the scar after meeting her. "As I've told you, my father, if you could even call him that, is a very controlling man. For him, the slightest sign of rebellion was inexcusable and after Winter decided to join the Atlesian military, he decided that he couldn't allow me the opportunity to slip out from under his control like she did. When I told Winter that I was planning to attend Beacon instead of Atlas Academy, my father found out somehow and demanded that I go to Atlas so I could remain closer to home. When I refused, demands became threats."

Weiss let out a sigh. "At first, it was small things such as cutting me off from the family fortune. When he realized I was making enough money as a singer that I could simply reduce my spending and still survive without using family funds, he tried barring me from doing concerts. When a number of my _real_ fans realized this and started causing issues for the SDC, he decided to give me a… _test_." She took a breath as Ruby started rubbing her back. The heiress gave the young Rose a weak smile before continuing. "My father told me that if I managed to defeat a foe of his choice, he would let me attend Beacon, but if I failed I would have to abandon the thought of it. When I accepted… I-I'd never seen a Goliath up close before." Ruby whimpered slightly, wrapping her arms around Weiss. "I thought I was doing well against it and wouldn't need to use Dust to power Myrtenaster's abilities to defeat it at first… Then when I used a Glyph to jump over one of its sword swings, it punched me in the face and sent me flying… I guess I should be lucky that it didn't simply crush my skull instead of giving me this scar. In the end… I beat it."

Ruby's grip on her girlfriend tightened. "Who would force someone to do that? Who would make their daughter fight something that could destroy a small army?"

Weiss let out a bitter laugh. "Jacques Schnee, apparently. After the fight, everyone at my father's parties that claimed they were fans of my singing said it was such a _tragedy_ that my "perfect face" had to be tarnished by a scar. They didn't care that I'd risked my life to do something I cared about, only that my looks were ruined by it in their eyes. I hated having this scar because it was a reminder that so many of my fans were vain and shallow, that they only cared about my looks instead of _me_ , and that I would always have to struggle every step of the way to get out of my father's shadow and become my own person…" Weiss looked at Ruby with a soft smile. "And then I met you and you didn't _care_ that I had this scar, or that I was Weiss Schnee the heiress. You only cared that I was Weiss the singer and Huntress-in-training. As time went on, I realized that if I didn't fight the Goliath, if I didn't get this scar, I wouldn't have met you or learned what being a Huntress really means. For me, my scar isn't a reminder that chasing my hopes is a waste of time any more. It's a reminder that, when my back was against the wall, I pushed forward instead of giving up and that if I keep fighting for it, everything will be worth it in the end."

Ruby smiled. "I always liked your scar, Weiss. It made you look wiser, braver, and even more beautiful to me."

Weiss blushed at this before she hugged the Red Rose. "And that's why you're an amazing girlfriend, Ruby." She pulled away and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, looking the girl in the eye. "Your scar tells a similar story, Ruby. When I look at it, I don't see a reminder of your near-failure or my nightmares. I see a reminder that, even when you're being hunted, even when your life is on the line, you still choose to push forward and persevere instead of hiding. Don't be ashamed of it or think you have to hide it for my sake, okay?"

Ruby nodded, a few tears in her eyes. "Thanks Weiss, I needed that…" She quickly got up and went over to her closet, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm going to pick something out and get a shower. Do you mind waiting downstairs?"

Weiss nodded, standing up. "Just be careful on the way down, okay?"

"I promise I'll be careful," Ruby said before Weiss walked over, giving her a quick peck before walking out of the room. Ruby let out a content sigh. "I can tell today's going to be amazing…"

 **I'm mostly satisfied with the chapter at the present. There might be things I could do to improve it, but I can't see any right now. I thought the scene at the end would be a nice way to show how much Weiss has changed from both the start of this story and canon. While Volume 4 Weiss still had an interest in becoming head of the SDC, Weiss in this story cares very little about the SDC as a whole and more about restoring her family name by living up to her grandfather's legacy, helping others, and being with Ruby than anything else.**

 **Also, I hope people can see now why I felt their date had to be in the next chapter. I personally felt this scene would have overshadowed their date and needed to be separate from that.**

 **As usual, leave a review if you liked the story, have questions, or want to provide some input.**


	40. Chapter 40: First Date, a Bold Statement

**Everyone knows what's coming this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it.**

 **I saw the Volume 5 trailer today and I have to admit, things are going to be veering off based on what Salem says during it. A few parts sound like they're going to be compatible, but other than that I doubt I'd be able to both adjust my plans for this branch of the story to be in line with Volume 5. As a result, don't be surprised if I choose to disregard many of the events of Volume 5 completely. Once I'm done with the main story, I might come back and do an offshoot like a handful of people responded to the poll in support of.**

 **Chapter 40: First Date, a Bold Statement**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, with Weiss, Yang, and Blake**

Weiss quietly paced the room, glancing up the stairs occasionally. "Wow Weiss, I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous," Yang said with a grin, causing the heiress to turn to her meekly.

"Normally I'd probably scold you for that, but…" Weiss started before looking down, playing with her hands. "I've never been on a date before."

"Not an official one you mean? You've had lunch with Ruby before as her friend, right?" Yang asked, getting a nod from the white-haired girl. Yang grinned. "Treat it like that to start then and see where things go. There's no reason to stress about it. Knowing Ruby, she'll care more about the fact the two of you enjoy yourselves than she will about where you go or what you do. Just have fun, enjoy yourselves, and everything else will work out, okay?"

Weiss let out a sigh and looked at the blonde gratefully. "Thank you for that advice, Yang. Perhaps I was wrong about you."

"Wrong about her how?" Ruby's voice called out from the staircase, causing Weiss to turn. The heiress blushed as she took a moment to look over her girlfriend. The simple red sundress fit the wolf faunus and, Weiss had to admit, looked great on her. Ruby's normal combat boots were replaced with a pair of sandals and Weiss was surprised to see a small red rose entwined in the girl's hair. While it was a simple outfit, Weiss couldn't help but admire the girl. After a moment, Ruby blushed. "U-um, Weiss?"

The heiress blinked in surprise before looking away with a light blush. "Sorry, you look… beautiful, Ruby."

Ruby smiled meekly and started playing with her hands. "Thanks… Should we get going?"

Weiss smiled. "Right, of course. Where are we going first?"

Ruby started walking towards the door, a smile on her face as her tail wagged happily behind her. "Well, there's a nice park that we could go to. After that I was thinking maybe we could look around at some stores. It's not Vale, but Patch has enough to get by."

Weiss nodded with a smile as they left the house. "That sounds good, I need to replace my wardrobe and get some… things," Weiss said with a blush, the previous night's incident coming to mind.

Ruby blushed slightly. "Y-yeah… That might be a good idea…" Ruby paused for a moment, a thought coming to mind. "Hey Weiss, you wouldn't happen to have any Lien on you, would you?"

Weiss looked at the Red Rose in confusion. "No, but I should be able to use my…" Weiss paled as realization set in. "I can't use my bank card with the CCT Tower destroyed, it's through a bank in Atlas…" The heiress' shoulders slumped sadly. _"Great, that means I only have one outfit, the pajamas Ruby let me keep, and one set of underwear…"_

Ruby quickly put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, giving her a soft smile. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it today, alright?" Weiss went to protest when Ruby put a finger against her lips. "I can handle it, really. You've helped me so much since we met, let me do this, okay?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Ruby… I'm not sure how much you Lien you even have. I can't do that to you."

"Weiss, don't worry about it. I can cover it today. I mean, it's not much, but…" Ruby looked away for a moment. "I do have a bit of an inheritance after all…"

Weiss quickly wrapped her girlfriend in a hug. "Ruby… You don't have to do that…" Ruby returned the hug with a sigh.

"I know, but I _want_ to… And I know my mom would want me to do this too." Ruby heard a quiet sniffle from Weiss, causing her to frown. "Weiss, are you crying?"

Weiss' shoulders trembled slightly as she stepped back, wiping her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just not used to people doing things for me because they want to. The only person that's ever been this nice to me without _having_ to is Klein, my family's butler."

Ruby frowned. "That doesn't seem right…"

Weiss laughed weakly. "That's how Atlesian high society is. Nox, my family's horrible, aren't they?" Ruby giggled, causing Weiss to glare at her. "What's so funny about that?"

Ruby held her hands up apologetically. "Not your family… You didn't notice what you said, did you?" Weiss blinked for a minute before going wide-eyed and smiling a bit. "Gods, I'm rubbing off on you, aren't I?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Honestly I don't see anything wrong with… that…" Weiss' voice trailed off as she glanced around at the clearing they walked into. A small stone wall marked the perimeter of the park with a few towering oak trees scattered around, covered in bright red and orange leaves. A small pond sat in the middle of the area, with benches under a few trees, by small dirt paths, and the pond. A number of bushes and clusters of flowers were planted along the paths. "This is the park?"

Ruby smiled. "It's nice, isn't it?"

"I don't think nice is the right word, Ruby. We don't have anything like this in Atlas," Weiss said, causing Ruby to frown.

"You don't have _parks_ in Atlas?" the girl asked, walking over to a bench.

Weiss let out a sigh as they sat down. "We do have parks and gardens, they're just… artificial. Every tree needs to be perfectly trimmed and be precisely the same height, no bush can grow beyond a certain shape or area, every path needs to be paved, and there's fountains or manmade pools instead of a natural pond. Even the few that you would find outside. We just… don't have _real_ parks like this," Weiss said, gesturing around, causing Ruby to frown. "Everything needs to be perfect and nobody seems willing to acknowledge or realize how people elsewhere might be suffering because they're not nearly as well off, even the citizens in Mantle get mocked for their poverty."

Ruby quickly wrapped her girlfriend in a hug. "They're ignorant and shallow, I understand that, but that's not important." Weiss looked at the wolf faunus in confusion. "What's important is the here and the now, right? You're not like the rest of Atlas' rich citizens, you're Weiss. You're one of the kindest, most considerate people I know and you shouldn't have to compare yourself to them." Ruby smiled at Weiss. "Don't let the way other people from Atlas act discourage you, okay?"

Weiss smiled and gave Ruby a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for that, Ruby," Weiss said, causing the wolf to grin. "You don't really talk about your family all that much. Other than being teamed up with Yang and a few brief encounters with your father, I don't know much about them."

Ruby let out a sigh before she started. "Well, my mom's name was Summer. Like I told you, she died when I was three, so I didn't have much time with her… Just about everything I know about her and knew about the Rose family before Beacon was from recordings she left. I do remember that she was an amazing Huntress and an incredible mom. She used to tell me bedtime stories even if she was exhausted after a mission and always made time for Yang or me when we were sad or sick." Ruby smiled fondly for a moment. "What I remember most is her cookies. She had this love of chocolate and made sure to have medicine on her at all times because of that. One day she got me a prescription too and baked some chocolate chip cookies. I fell in love with them and it seemed like she always had a fresh batch every week."

Weiss took Ruby's hand. "Is that why you always seem to get chocolate chip cookies?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, they've always been my favorite cookies and I just… I'm reminded of her whenever I have some. It's been years, but I still remember the taste and none of them come close to hers. Maybe it's just that knowing I'd never be able to see her again ruins it a bit, or maybe her cookies were just so much better because of how much care she put into it."

Weiss smiled as Ruby looked up at the sky. After a moment, Ruby continued. "When she died, my dad, Qrow, he just… fell apart. Before that he was always caring and friendly, if a bit reserved. I don't remember him drinking before that and Tai says it didn't start until after mom died. I didn't find out until earlier this year, but Qrow's always blamed himself for mom dying and I guess he was afraid his Semblance would put everyone else he cared about at risk, so he started drinking to keep his mind off it."

Weiss frowned. "What is his Semblance, exactly?"

Ruby glanced at the heiress before sighing. "It's an aura that partially disrupts the senses of everyone around him. Sounds seem to become quieter, smells aren't as strong, colors are muted, it becomes difficult to notice small details, and subtle movements on the edge of your vision go unnoticed. The worst part is, he has no control over it and his only hope of it not hurting anyone is to spend enough time around them that they build up an immunity to it, but even then, it doesn't always stick."

Ruby glanced down for a moment. "One day he visited while I was playing in mom's old garden. Between his Semblance and my own excitement to see him, I missed a poisonous snake, one of the few dangerous animals on the island besides the Grimm, and it bit me. After that, Qrow just kind of vanished, only rarely showing up and he always had his flask in his hand after that. I don't think he could look at me without feeling guilty that I'd almost died. After we talked about it and he admitted that he was my dad, he's been drinking a bit less and he's a bit friendlier with people now."

Weiss nodded. "And Tai?"

Ruby hummed. "When I was growing up, I thought Tai was my dad. When Summer was pregnant, she was helping Tai take care of Yang and everyone decided to tell her she was getting a little sister. Summer was like a sister to him and he took it pretty hard when she died. He doesn't like to admit it, but… He made it hard on me too. Not the way Jacques made things hard for you, he just… Didn't want me to be in any danger. After the snake incident, he had the garden dug up and replanted here before making sure I couldn't leave the house until he got rid of the snake. After that, he freaked out when I first applied at Signal and Qrow had to talk him into letting me actually go there, but he was always worried I'd get hurt."

The wolf let out a sigh. "When he heard about what happened at Mountain Glenn, he… He tried to talk me into giving up on being a Huntress. I know he meant well, but hearing him say that when everyone was questioning my sanity and ability to lead… I-it hurt. Then after what happened in the tournament…" Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, smiling at her.

"He cares about you Ruby. Even if he isn't as outwardly supportive of you as your father is, he still wants you to be safe and happy," Weiss said, causing Ruby to smile slightly. "You said your mother's garden was replanted here. Is it still here by any chance?"

Ruby's ears perked up. "Yeah, do you want to see it?" Weiss nodded before Ruby hopped up, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and leading her to an isolated corner of the park where a number of rose bushes were growing. Weiss looked around at the various colors while Ruby knelt down, checking a few. "They might be part of the park, but they're still my mom's and mine." She glanced up at Weiss subtly. "Are there any you like?"

Weiss looked at Ruby quizzically before answering. "I never put any thought into that. Why are you asking anyways?"

Ruby hummed. "Love, purity, humility, reverence, and a desire for a new beginning…" Before Weiss could question the wolf, she quickly cut a white rose off a bush and held it out with a slight blush. "A white rose symbolizes all those things, and I think it suits you." Weiss blushed as she took the flower looking down at it with a small smile.

"Thank you, Ruby…" she said meekly before looking at the girl. "How about we get something to eat now?"

Ruby tapped her chin before speaking up. "How about pizza?"

Weiss scratched the back of her head meekly. "I've… never actually had pizza before…"

Ruby went wide-eyed. "You're kidding, right?" Weiss shook her head, causing Ruby to grab her hand and pull her out of the park. "Come on, you need to try it! It's great!" Weiss rolled her eyes before smiling slightly, following along behind the energetic girl.

 **Patch Public Library, with Yang and Blake**

Blake wandered the shelves, glancing at different covers with a smile. "For a small island, Patch seems to have a large collection of books," she commented, causing Yang to let out a quiet chuckle.

"Yeah, there might not be many people on Patch, but that also means there's a lot less to do here than there is in Vale. On top of that, the fact that the Beowolves come out at night means once the sun goes down, most people choose to stay inside. Back before Ruby and I started training, we used to get a few books from the library every week to keep us occupied during the night."

Blake smiled slightly. "I didn't think you'd be the type to read that much, Yang."

Yang pouted, going to cross her arms before letting out a frustrated sigh at her reflex. "I read sometimes. I still do from time to time. I've probably read a quarter of the fiction books here."

Blake smiled. "Alright then, how about we put that to the test? What kind of… romance novels do they have?"

Yang gave Blake a playful grin. "Nothing like Ninja of Love, but there's a few…" Blake blushed as her ears twitched, causing Yang to giggle. "What? You left it out one day and I got curious. I'm sorry."

Blake looked away meekly. "It's fine… What do they have here then?"

Yang smiled before grabbing Blake's hand, pulling her towards another area of the library. "They're over here, I'll help you look. Maybe we can both find something to read if we're lucky." Blake smiled and followed behind, looking at the shelves when they stopped.

 **With Ruby and Weiss**

Weiss looked around as they entered the pizzeria. Paintings of forests, cliffs, and beaches hung from the walls. "The landscapes are beautiful… They wouldn't happen to be from Patch, would they?" Weiss asked as the two of them sat at a table.

"Yeah, just about all of them are locations somewhere in Patch and I can show you where most of them are if you want," Ruby said cheerfully.

Weiss glanced around, before pointing at a painting from atop a cliff, gazing down at a lush forest. "What about that one? It looks like it would be an amazing place to visit."

Ruby looked at the painting, a sad smile forming on her face. "It is… I guess I was going to show you that spot eventually anyways. Tomorrow would probably be the best time for it."

Weiss went to question Ruby's response when a man walked up with a notepad. "Hello, ladies. Is there anything I can get you?" he said with a smile, nodding at Ruby.

Weiss glanced down at the menu before looking at Ruby meekly. Ruby smiled at her before looking at the waiter. "We'll have a small pepperoni pizza and some mozzarella sticks. I'll have grape soda and…" Ruby looked at Weiss, causing the heiress to look at the menu.

"Um, I'll have water I suppose," Weiss said, causing the wolf to let out a groan.

"C'mon Weiss, we're here so you can try new things," Ruby said, giving Weiss her best puppy eyes as her ears flattened out.

Weiss blushed as she resisted the urge to jump over the table and hug her girlfriend before she spoke up. "Okay… I suppose I'll have the cherry soda." The man nodded and left with the menus, leaving the two girls in silence.

Ruby spoke up after a moment. "So, do you have any other family besides your parents and Winter?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Yes, unfortunately. I have a younger brother named Whitley and he's almost as untrustworthy as my father. I've never seen him disagree with anything father said, nor does he hold the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the world in high regard. I don't think he's even had his Aura unlocked yet."

Ruby paused for a moment and waited for the drinks and mozzarella sticks to be placed on the table before pulling one of the sticks from the rest and dipping it into the sauce, holding it out to Weiss with a smile. "Here, try it!" Weiss looked at it for a second before taking a bite out of it, letting out a quiet moan while Ruby grinned, placing it on the girl's plate and grabbing a stick of her own, dipping it into the sauce. "It's good, right?"

Weiss nodded before she swallowed. "That's amazing. We don't have things like this in Atlas. Everything has to be elegant and refined. Everything I've tried since we came to Patch is more enjoyable honestly. Now I'm curious about what else I've been missing." Weiss picked up her cup and took a sip, enjoying the taste of the carbonated beverage.

Ruby grinned. "We'll have to see what else you enjoy some time…" The wolf's smile dropped as she spoke up. "Don't you find it odd that your dad wouldn't at least have Whitley's Aura unlocked in case he was attacked? I mean, I can understand maybe skipping basic self-defense, but how could anyone in your family not have their Aura unlocked?"

Weiss frowned. "What are you suggesting, Ruby? If his Aura was unlocked, his Semblance would have revealed itself by now."

The Red Rose let out a sigh. "I'm just saying… What if Whitley's Aura _was_ unlocked? What if he _did_ awaken a Semblance… and it wasn't the Schnee family's Glyphs?" Weiss looked at the girl in shock as she continued. "You mentioned that your parents were in a loveless marriage when the White Fang attacked and that Jacques only married Willow to take control of the SDC…"

Weiss clenched her fists. "Are you suggesting that my father had an _affair_ with someone and forced everyone involved to keep quiet about it?"

Ruby held her hands up meekly. "S-sorry! It's just that… Can you honestly say he wouldn't do something like that?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "I'm not mad at you, Ruby. It's just… I can actually see him doing that and it scares me. He's already tarnished the Schnee family name so much and now…" Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything…" Ruby said before Weiss gave her a weak smile.

"It's fine. You were only asking a question. Besides, I'm very much enjoying this date as it is," Weiss said, causing Ruby to smile.

"Really?" the wolf asked, causing Weiss to roll her eyes, still smiling.

"Dolt, why would I say that if I didn't mean it? I'm having a wonderful time." Before Ruby could respond, the man came back with the pizza, setting it down between them. "It looks greasy…"

"It's delicious, trust me Weiss," Ruby said with a grin.

"Alright, so… how do we eat this exactly? Do we use utensils or…" Weiss started, causing Ruby to giggle.

"You could, but most people use their hands." Ruby quickly grabbed a piece and took a bite from it, looking at Weiss.

Weiss looked down and grabbed a piece, looking at it before taking a bite. She let out a quiet sigh at the simple mix of tastes, taking her time to enjoy it, causing Ruby to grin. "This is amazing. I'm actually sad we don't have anything like this in Atlas." Ruby grinned before the two ate in relative silence.

When the pizza was finished, Ruby hummed. "How about we eat some dessert and then go shopping?"

Weiss shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Sure, how about you decide what we get?" Ruby nodded and waved over the waiter.

"Could we have a slice of cheesecake and a slice of pumpkin pie please?" Ruby asked, getting a nod from the man before he left.

Weiss looked at her in surprise. "No chocolate today?" Ruby simply shook her head, grinning slightly.

"Nope. I always get something with chocolate in it when I go to a restaurant." The two talked for a while before the waiter returned with the desserts, placing the cheesecake in front of Weiss and the pumpkin pie in front of Ruby. The wolf grinned before taking a bite, letting out a content sigh. She looked over to see Weiss take a bite of the cheesecake, grinning at the satisfied expression on her face before holding her fork in front of the white-haired girl, a shy smile on her face. "Here, try it," Ruby said, causing her girlfriend to blink.

"Ruby, do you know how cliché that is?" Weiss said with a sigh.

The Red Rose shrugged. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. You know you wanna try it…" Weiss let out a sigh and took a bite, humming happily.

"It's good," she said with a slight blush before offering Ruby a bit of her own dessert, causing the girl to grin as she took a bite. The two continued talking happily and sharing their desserts until they were finished. Ruby flagged down the waiter and quickly paid before they got up, heading to a nearby clothing store.

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center, with Winter**

Winter let out a frustrated sigh as she walked into the large room, glancing around with a frown before turning to Janus. "I need to speak with Aurelius about a matter in Atlas. Do you know where he is?"

Janus shrugged. "I haven't seen him since the incident involving Councilor Colvin this morning…" The Prefect paused before glancing over his shoulder. "…Which is something I haven't had the misfortune of saying since the day he locked himself away and built Loki. I'll help you find him."

Janus went to leave the room when Odin spoke up. "He's in his office with Adrienne. They've been there most of the day and I've been keeping an eye on him in case he starts doing something that might accidentally destroy the Tower or Spire Crystal."

Janus let out a sigh before heading to the lift, stepping on it. Winter walked on, hands behind her back as she turned around, waiting as the lift hovered into the opening and dropped two levels. When the lift came to a stop in the landing point, Winter quickly walked off, knocking on the door. "Come in!" she heard from the other side, causing her to push the door open.

"Aurelius, I have a message… from…" Winter stopped as she tried desperately to process what she was looking at. The twitch of a pair of wolf ears on top of Aurelius' head drew her attention while Janus let out a sigh.

"Aurelius… Why did you do this?" Janus asked, hand covering the eye slots of his helm.

The newly-minted faunus stood up, walking around the room slowly as he spoke. "As I said this morning, the easiest way to weaken the White Fang is to take away their moral high ground. Humanity has forgotten that the faunus are thinking, feeling, intelligent beings with souls, just like them. What better way to remind them than for me to become a faunus myself? Would they call me a mindless savage as well? Would they continue belittling the faunus when such a powerful voice of reason backs the faunus?" Aurelius stopped in front of his desk, hands behind his back as his tail twitched. "People like Colvin and Jacques Schnee need to understand that I will not tolerate their beliefs on this matter and if becoming a faunus is what's required, so be it."

Janus hummed before glancing at Adrienne, causing the girl to look down sheepishly, her own wolf ears twitching slightly. "I thought it would be a good way to show support for Ruby and remind Remnant that the Rose family stands united."

Janus sighed. "Very well… I only came down here because Specialist Schnee was looking for you." The trio glanced at the white-haired woman, a bemused expression on Aurelius face as he realized she was still staring at the ears on top of his head with a faint blush.

"Schnee!" he shouted, causing the woman to jump, blushing a bit more. Aurelius smiled subtly before continuing with a quieter tone. "Did you have a reason to come here or are you here simply to stare?"

Winter growled slightly, cheeks a light pink. Between her strange emotions and her frustration at being unable to explain them, the Specialist wasn't in the mood to deal with the Blue Rose's antics. _"I don't know what you're doing to me, but I swear I'll make you pay for it…"_ "General Ironwood sent a message via dropship. The design of the prototype prosthetic arm has been approved and Ironwood will have it sent as soon as his side of production is complete." Aurelius nodded before going to sit down. Winter let out a frustrated sigh before she spoke up. "Why have you been asking me these peculiar questions every time we speak?"

Aurelius glanced at her before humming. "Perhaps they are strange to you, but each one has the same answer and that answer is one that I feel you know even if you don't realize it. I can't give you the answer either or it would lose its impact. I apologize, but you need to find the answer on your own." Winter let out a growl before she turned around and moved toward the door. "Winter…" The woman paused and spun around in surprise, having never heard the sage refer to her by name before. "You've been working hard the last few days. I know you don't have to listen to me, but please… Take a break tomorrow." The woman nodded in confusion before stepping out the door.

 **This chapter ended up being twice as long as I expected it to be, but I'm happy with it. I hope everyone enjoyed it.**

 **And yes, Aurelius and Adrienne have become faunus. I felt it'd be a bit meaningful and help pushing Jacques that much closer to insanity when things happen later.**

 **Ruby's comment about Whitley isn't just something random. The fact that Whitley has claimed that his Aura was never unlocked, let alone he hasn't awakened his semblance, always seemed to be a red flag that he might not be a Schnee by birth. Considering Jacques' manipulative nature, it never seemed like too much of a stretch.**

 **Weiss not having any money on her is more of an observation about the fact she didn't use anything other than her credit card when attempting to pay for the noodles in Volume 3. It gave me the impression that she doesn't carry money on her and I felt it'd be an opportunity to have a sweet little moment between Ruby and Weiss if Ruby offered to cover the date.**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	41. Chapter 41: Grave Business, First Lesson

**New chapter! Let's get going.**

 **Jumpingninjo- I'm not going to lie, my original plan from** _ **way**_ **back when I started writing this was that Ruby wouldn't wake up until after Jacques took Weiss back and that she'd only learn what was so significant about a Rose's cloak from Aurelius** _ **as**_ **Jacques was dragging her off. This would have meant they wouldn't get together until after Volume 4's events, and with people getting irritated by me dragging it out I decided to have it happen early and now I don't even have the heart to make that happen anymore.**

 **Metalfury00- To answer your questions in order:**

 **1\. Neo and Roman will be making an appearance soon, probably not for a few chapters though. They will most likely be playing a fairly large role in the events from this point on.**

 **2\. The Winter and Aurelius ship was something that, I think, was first discussed in the closing AN for chapter 27-28. There was even one person, randomletterz, that suggested calling the ship "Permafrost" because of Winter's somewhat icy personality and the fact that Aurelius is ancient. I'm trying to decide if that's a good name or not right now, so meh.**

 **3\. Kinda? It's a bit more complicated than that…**

 **Chapter 41: Grave Business and First Lesson**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence**

Ruby let out a sigh as she looked out the window, frowning slightly. Yang put a hand on her shoulder, causing the wolf faunus to look at her. "Hey, are you sure you're okay with doing this?" the blonde asked quietly.

Ruby looked at her sister meekly, playing with the blue rose in her hand. "Yeah… I mean, I'd have to take her there eventually, right?"

"Take me where?" Weiss asked, coming down the stairs. Ruby glanced at her meekly. After dinner the previous night, Ruby had taken the heiress to a clothing store and, to her surprise, her white-haired girlfriend had refused to get anything similar to her normal outfits. Ruby was surprised to learn that Weiss wasn't willing to let the faunus buy her anything too expensive, instead going for a simpler wardrobe. Ruby glanced at the girl with a weak smile, subtly admiring how she looked wearing a white shirt and jeans. The only potentially expensive thing Ruby was able to convince the girl to get was a pair of shoes. Ruby, meanwhile, was wearing her normal outfit.

"Well… there's something special about the place we're going, Weiss. At least to me…" Ruby said, causing the heiress to frown.

"Special how?" Weiss asked, causing Ruby to look away.

"You… You'll see when we get there, okay?" Ruby said meekly. Weiss looked at the girl and nodded with a sigh.

"Alright, let's get going then," Weiss said, causing the wolf faunus to hop up with a weak grin. Ruby grabbed her girlfriend's hand, gently pulling her towards the forest. Weiss glanced around cautiously, hand resting on Myrtenaster. She glanced at Ruby, noticing the other girl seemed relaxed and calm. After a few minutes, she decided to speak up. "Ruby, why are you so calm going through here? I thought Patch was known for having a large number of Beowolves."

Ruby blinked in surprise. "Hmm? Oh, they only come out at night usually, and even then, they know to stay off this path unless I'm… upset."

Weiss looked at the girl in confusion. "Why would you be upset exactly? What's along this path that would affect you that much?"

Ruby looked down sadly. "That painting from the restaurant, the one you said you wanted to see where it was painted… It was painted back before my mom died. It was her favorite spot on Patch…"

Weiss went to speak before a thought crossed her mind. "You don't mean…" Ruby nodded sadly, causing the heiress to give her a hug. "We don't need to come out here if you don't want to, Ruby."

Ruby returned the hug with a smile. "It's fine, I was planning to bring you here some time anyways. I… I wanted you to meet her." Weiss looked at the girl in confusion before the trees started to thin out, causing the wolf faunus to sigh. "We're here, c'mon!" Ruby quickly grabbed her girlfriend's hand, gently pulling her out of the forest.

Weiss let out a gasp as they walked towards the cliff, gaze moving across the heart of the island. "Wow… I can see why your mother loved this place so much…"

Ruby smiled sadly. "Qrow told me that mom would come up here whenever she needed to think about something." The couple walked forward, Weiss squeezing Ruby's hand as the gravestone came into view. Ruby knelt down and placed her hand on the gravestone, running her hand along the Rose crest. "He said that when he decided to propose, he asked her right here… She wanted to be buried here because so her spirit to be able to look out on Patch."

Weiss knelt down next to Ruby. "I'll admit this is a beautiful place and I can understand why you brought a flower, but I don't understand why you brought a blue rose."

Ruby grinned holding it up. "I read that if you bring a blue rose, a _real_ one, to someone's grave, you can call on their spirit," the wolf said, causing Weiss' eyes to widen. "Even better, I've done it… I was actually able to talk to my mom."

"So, when you said you wanted me to meet your mother…" Weiss gestured meekly to the flower.

Ruby nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I thought you'd like a chance to talk to her. And, well… I kinda wanted to talk to her again before my birthday."

Weiss frowned. _"Right, her birthday's in two days… And I can't get her anything with the CCT down. There must be something…"_ Weiss fought off a light blush as a number of possibilities came to mind. _"Something that isn't_ inappropriate _anyways."_ She shook her head before smiling. "Alright. Let's give this a try, shall we?"

Ruby nodded, placing the rose on her mother's gravestone. "Hey mom… I'm back and I brought someone for you to meet." Ruby waited a moment, remembering the delay from before. She glanced at Weiss meekly. "It… takes a while…" As a minute passed, Ruby's face slowly went from meek to nervous, before finally ending in a slight panic. "M-mom?" _"Why isn't it working? Was it only a one time thing? Was I just imagining it last time? Gods, does Weiss think I'm going mad now?"_ Ruby let out a quiet whimper as she started to tear up.

Weiss looked at her in concern. _"If Ruby said this worked before, it must have… Maybe it just takes too much energy for a spirit to appear twice so close together or…"_ Weiss' eyes widened. _"Wait… That's not what happened, is it?"_ Weiss took a quiet breath, putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder. The wolf turned to look at her, causing the heiress to give her a hug. "Ruby, maybe she needs to rest. Showing up like that must take a lot of her strength. We'll try again in a week, okay?"

Ruby nodded sadly, getting up with Weiss' help. "Y-yeah… We'll try again…" Weiss frowned but stayed quiet, not wanting to get Ruby's hopes up. While the Red Rose wasn't looking, Weiss pulled out the Scroll Aurelius gave her, sending a quick message before closing it.

 **Bastion, Citadel Command Center, with Winter**

Winter let out a quiet sigh as she walked into the room, getting a strange look from Aurelius. "What are you doing here, Schnee? I thought I told you to take a break. I assumed Atlas Academy didn't train the concept of leisure out of you. Was I wrong?" he asked, ear twitching slightly before he glared up at it. _"This is going to take a bit of time to adjust to…"_

Winter glared at him. _"I was hoping he would have forgotten about that…"_ She took a deep breath before speaking up. "We still need to continue the search for survivors and-"

Aurelius let out an exasperated sigh. "By the gods, you really _don't_ know how to truly relax, do you?" Winter's fists clenched as she went to counter the remark, only for Aurelius to turn to Odin and Janus. "I am leaving the two of you in charge for today. It appears Specialist Schnee needs to relearn how to actually have fun." The two Prefects shared a look before Odin shrugged. Aurelius stood up, walking past Winter. "Come along. At the very least we're going to take a walk."

Winter let out a growl and went to speak before Aurelius' Scroll went off. "Apologies, one moment," he said, opening it to look at the message from Weiss.

Weiss: _Did you bring Summer back by any chance?_

Aurelius' eyes widened slightly before he sent a response.

Aurelius: _What makes you think I did that exactly?_

Weiss: _Ruby just took me to Summer's grave and tried to speak to her. It didn't work, but I remembered you mentioning having another Avatar laying around. Considering it's almost Ruby's birthday, I couldn't help but wonder._

Aurelius: _Perhaps I did, would it be wrong of me to reunite them?_

Weiss: _No, but Ruby was extremely upset… I feel like I should tell her. Maybe you could do me a favor and I'll keep it secret._

Aurelius scoffed as he sent his next message. "I wasn't aware your sister was capable of blackmail, though her reasons are cute."

Aurelius: _Very well, what do you want?_

Winter went to question the Blue Rose when his Scroll chimed again.

Weiss: _I can't get Ruby anything for her birthday with the CCT Tower down, but I know she really misses her mom's chocolate chip cookies. Could you maybe get me the recipe so I could make her some?_

"That's an interesting request from my sister, I will admit," Winter said, glancing at the Scroll over Aurelius' shoulder. The Blue Rose jumped slightly, a look of annoyance on his face.

"By the gods, did you forget what personal space is as well? I expected you'd at least be able to maintain a respectful distance and not rest right against my back!" he grumbled, causing Winter to blink before she realized what she had done. Aurelius was taller than she was and she had just attempted to look over his shoulder at a message on his Scroll… While using him as a support. She took a step back, cheeks red and sputtering as the realization she'd unintentionally pressed herself right against him sank in. Aurelius glanced back at the Scroll before sending one last message. _"Great, there were so many better ways to phrase that, why did I have to pick the one that shows I haven't had an interest in romance in almost 2500 years…"_

Aurelius: _Very well, I'll see if I can get her to part with it._

Aurelius sent a quick message to Summer before he closed the Scroll, starting to walk toward the lift. "How do you feel about taking a look at the Central Arboretum? I honestly don't believe you've ventured beyond the Tower other than to leave on searches and perhaps get a meal. I feel you might appreciate it."

Winter let out a sigh. "Very well, but I do have a question." Aurelius glanced at her before she continued. "Why are you so willing to help Weiss? I understand you care for the happiness of your family, but I know you offered her residence here if something were to happen."

Aurelius hummed quietly as the lift moved down the Tower. "While she might not realize it, Weiss is currently torn between two different views of the world. The compassionate, caring part of her looks into the future, desperately hoping to make the world brighter for herself and those she cares about while helping everyone she can. The disciplined, rational part of her has been drilled to uphold a duty to others that leaves her fearful of abandoning the past or making changes that she needs to make in order to make her dreams for the future a reality. Some day soon, she will be forced to either make a choice that could destroy her or realize that the specific duty she has been shouldered with is not one she should bear. If the latter happens, she could become the person she was truly meant to be, someone unburdened by the sins of previous generations and unworried about what the future has in store, finally being able to focus on the present."

Winter scoffed quietly before speaking up. "I doubt it could be as difficult as you make it sound." When she looked back at him, she found him giving her the same look he normally gives her before he asked her something she didn't know the answer to. As he studied her, he finally spoke up.

"Can you honestly say you aren't in a situation similar to her own?" he asked.

Winter opened her mouth to answer when she paused. She thought back to how much happier and more open Weiss was since the tournament started. She remembered the remarks Aurelius had made about her discipline leaving her with little creativity and how she could no longer truly relax. _"I joined the Atlesian military to escape the burdens and expectations of being heiress, but… Have I forged another cage for myself through my own obsession to be free of it?"_ Winter looked down, a frown on her face as she unclenched her fists. "…No," she muttered through clenched teeth, frustrated at herself for not noticing it sooner and at Aurelius for bringing it to her attention.

"Then you've taken the first step along the way to breaking free of your situation and learning what I've been pushing you towards," Aurelius said calmly, causing Winter to face him with a glare.

"And what _is_ that exactly? Every time I ask, you refuse or give a cryptic answer!" she growled.

Aurelius simply looked at her as the lift came to a stop, stepping off. "It's something that I simply can't tell you. It's something part of you already knows, even if you're not aware of it. If anyone were to tell you, you would simply reject it and try to prove it false. The only person who can tell you what I've been trying to teach you is yourself, and you can only learn it when you're ready."

Winter blinked in confusion before she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Hey, Ice Queen!" The duo turned around to see Qrow standing behind them. "What are you doing down here? I thought you'd be bossing around the grunts or digging through rubble, not wandering around on a date with Aurelius."

Winter growled, a light blush on her face as she went to draw her sword. Aurelius stepped forward, holding his hand up to stop her. "Qrow, I'm not sure how drunk you are, but this isn't a date. I was simply taking her on a tour of Bastion since we've already picked through the rubble and found everyone we could," he said before smiling subtly. "However, I think you have a date of your own to prepare for in the next few days. Perhaps rather than try to pick a fight within a flying city holding more than _half the population of Vale_ you should try to get cleaned up."

"What the hell are you talking about? I haven't been on a date in _years_ ," Qrow said with a growl. Aurelius hummed and turned around, Winter looking on in confusion. "Hey! I asked you a question!"

"If you want the answer, you'll have to wait until Ruby's birthday… Oh, and try to be sober for it if you would. I'd rather not have any… _incidents_ because you're hammered," Aurelius started before glancing over his shoulder. "Come along, Schnee." Winter blinked before following the Blue Rose, a frown on her face.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked, watching Aurelius' tail twitch.

"No, but Summer's death has left him bitter at the world. If I were to tell him she was back, he wouldn't believe me. By leaving him confused, I guarantee that he'll avoid causing trouble for a few days and leave us both in peace." His Scroll chimed and he glanced down at it, quickly sending the message ahead. "Now then, where were we?" Winter let out a quiet sigh, trying not to think about her own feelings regarding Qrow's taunt.

 **I'm going to cut this chapter short here. Let me know what you think about this.**


	42. Chapter 42: Birthdays and Reunions

**We're just under 200 followers. I'm glad people are enjoying the story so much.**

 **I feel like I might need to point this out, but Summer did** _ **not**_ **do what Aurelius did to himself. Aurelius brought Summer back the same way he brought Adrienne back. What Aurelius did to himself is** _ **not**_ **something anyone else could recreate and even his ability to reincarnate is unique to him, though that's not his preferred method of coming back.**

 **The next few chapters may include a lemon. I'm not exactly sure when, but this is mostly to warn people that lemons** _ **will**_ **be coming up in this story as we move forward.**

 **Chapter 42: Birthdays and Reunions**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, with Weiss**

"No, this isn't right either!" Weiss said with a frustrated growl as she dropped the cookie back onto the plate. "I mean… It tastes fine but I doubt this is as good as Summer's…" She glanced around the kitchen, looking at the last few failures. Yang and Blake had been kind enough to get her the ingredients, but she needed to actually make the cookies on her own. She glanced up at the time with a sigh. "Alright… I have time for one more attempt, so I need to do this _perfectly_ … Even though I've literally never cooked anything on my own before today… Okay Weiss, just take your time with it…" Weiss took a deep breath before getting back to work.

She let out a sigh as she realized there wasn't enough chocolate chips left. "Great, I guess I'll just have to improvise and hope for the best…" She looked around and pulled out a bag of white chocolate. "I'll be able to pay them back once the CCT Network's working again… I just hope they'll understand."

 **On a Roc heading to Patch, with Aurelius, Adrienne, Winter, and Summer**

"Are you sure you're fine to see them already?" Aurelius asked, glancing at the green-cloaked woman.

Summer smiled. "Aside from everything being a bit stiff, I'm fine. Besides, I'd like to be able to give Ruby the hug she wanted when she called me back." Aurelius nodded before he got a message on his scroll.

 _Janus: There's an SDC airship trying to locate Weiss. I believe Jacques has returned. Loki is attempting to make him leave again._

Aurelius let out a sigh before sending a confirmation message to Janus. Winter glanced at him as a hand ran down his face. "Is something wrong?" she asked, getting a look from Aurelius.

"Jacques might be trying to get into Bastion looking for Weiss. Hopefully, nobody says anything, but we should be prepared," he said, causing Winter to clench her fists.

"He probably thinks Atlas is the safest place for her right now. With the Bastion hovering over Vale and Weiss hidden away on Patch, I fail to see how Atlas could be any safer for her," Winter said with a slight growl.

Adrienne shrugged. "I don't see why he cares so much about it anyways. It seems like it'd be obvious this is where she wants to be."

"Perhaps he has other goals in mind," Aurelius muttered. "We don't know exactly what makes him think, after all."

"And if he does show up?" Winter asked. "He's going to do whatever it takes to force her to return to Atlas."

"Then we'll do whatever it takes to remind her that she has family beyond her blood," Aurelius said, causing Adrienne to go wide-eyed.

"Auri, you can't be serious…" The Blue Rose glanced at her.

"If that's what it takes, that's what I'll do. The two of them deserve to be happy, and they're happiest together." Aurelius glanced at his scroll, not noticing the smiles from Summer or Winter.

 **At the park, with Ruby, Blake, and Yang**

Ruby let out a sad sigh. "What do you mean she had something to take care of?" the wolf asked Yang, ears flat against her head.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck, not looking at her sister. "It's just… Look, she had something she needed to do before she came here. She said she wouldn't feel right if it wasn't taken care of beforehand and she felt really bad that she couldn't be here from the start. She'll be here in a bit, okay pup?"

Ruby nodded, sitting down at one of the tables that were set up for the party. "Okay…" _"I hope she wasn't freaked out by me after trying to call my mom's spirit…"_

"Hey guys," a voice called out before the trio turned around to see Team JNPR and Sun walk up or, in the case of Pyrrha, being pushed in a wheelchair by Jaune.

"Oh, hey guys! Glad you could make it!" Yang said with a smile before looking at Pyrrha. "What happened exactly?"

Pyrrha scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Oh, Cinder shot my ankle during our fight and tore the tendon. The doctor said I need to stay off my feet until they're certain it's healing properly, then I can start physical therapy so I can walk again."

"Speaking of injuries, how are you doing with your arm, Yang?" Sun asked before giving Blake a smile and a wink. Yang frowned, trying to resist the urge to punch Sun while Blake rolled her eyes.

"It's a bit difficult to do things, but I have some help," Yang said, putting her arm around Blake's shoulder. Blake smiled slightly, a light blush on her cheeks as she rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

Sun looked between the two for a moment. "Wait, are you two together now?" When he received a nod from Blake, he visibly deflated for a moment before perking up. "That… actually would be hot to watch. You wouldn't mind if I-" Sun was cut off as Blake reached forward, giving him a slap hard enough to make him spin before hiding behind Yang, resisting the urge to curl into a ball as her face turned as red as Ruby's cloak.

"Oh god, Sun! Why did you have to say that?!" she cried out while Yang blinked, blushing a bright red, trying not to think about everything her and Blake could do.

" _C'mon Yang, now's not the time to think about that! I mean, she does have an amazing ass and- NO! Stop!"_ "I… I think I'm going to take a walk and clear my head. I'll be back soon, okay?" Yang said before quickly running away.

Jaune went to speak up when Ren shouted from nearby. "Nora! It's Ruby's birthday, don't eat the cake yet!"

"But Reeeen…" Nora said with a whine.

"Ruby!" The wolf looked over in the direction the shout came from, smiling weakly as Tai came over, Qrow walking behind him. "I heard you woke up. How are you feeling?"

Ruby shrugged. "Other than my shoulder hurting, I'm fine."

Tai knelt down and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm glad you're okay…" He broke away for a moment and gave Ruby a look that she'd come to dread in the last few weeks. "Look, I know you don't like this, but…"

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. "Tai, I know how you feel about it, but I'm not going to stop being a Huntress. I want to help people and I can't do that while I'm sitting at home hiding."

Tai went to respond when Qrow spoke up. "Damn it, Tai, you're doing this again? She already told you how she feels twice before today."

Tai turned to look at the man with a frown. "Look, I'm just saying that maybe this isn't the best line of work for her."

"She saved Vale during her mission to Mountain Glenn," Qrow said, taking a sip from his flask.

"She also almost _died_ collapsing that tunnel!" Tai said with a growl.

"So what? People die all the time in our line of work. If we aren't willing to risk our lives, other people are going to lose _their_ lives."

"Are you suggesting I just sit here and let her throw herself at death?" Tai asked as Yang ran up, eyes wide.

"Um, guys, there's something-"

"No, I'm saying you should understand that she _wants_ to do this and support her along the way instead of tearing her down every damn time something happens!" Qrow snapped.

"She almost got killed because of who she is, Qrow! I thought you'd care about that!" Tai said.

"I _do_ , that's why I tore the bastard apart!"

Ruby spoke up. "Tai, I'm a _Rose_! The fight that's going on right now is my family's fight! How can you expect me to sit back and watch as people die fighting a battle that I _should_ be in the center of? How can you expect me to stay at home and not think about how many people wouldn't have died if I was fighting in their place?" She looked at Tai sadly as his shoulders drooped.

"I-I just…" He let out a sigh. "I don't want you to end up like Summer…"

"And what do you mean by that, Tai?" Blake and Team JNPR watched as the trio and Yang spun around, looking at a woman in a green cloak that looked a lot like Ruby.

"Summer?" Qrow whispered, flask dropping out of his hand.

"M-mom?" Ruby asked, stepping forward. Summer smiled before she stepped forward, wrapping her daughter in a hug.

"I'm here, my little rose blossom," Summer said before Ruby returned the hug, crying quietly. Qrow walked forward and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, causing her to look at him with tear-filled eyes.

"How are you…" Qrow started to ask before Aurelius stepped forward.

"Do you really need to ask that question right now, Qrow?" the Blue Rose asked in amusment. "I would assume you'd like to say hello to your wife." Qrow glanced at her before she wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into the hug.

"I missed you…" Summer muttered to him as he wrapped his arms around his two girls. "It was so hard watching you fall apart…" Qrow took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears of his own.

"Summer… I'm sorry. I promised to take care of Ruby and I-"

"Hush," Summer said, pulling away from the two before wiping her eyes. "You did the best you could and helped her whenever she needed it. You helped her grow into an amazing person and I'm so proud of her and the effort you put into helping her along the way." She glanced at Tai with a small smile. "And while I don't agree with your views on what she should do, Tai, I'm still thankful that you took such good care of her."

"Summer… I just…" Tai started before Summer shook her head with a smile.

"I know… You just wanted her to be safe and happy, and I appreciate that," she said before glancing at the blonde girl standing quietly to the side, a weak smile on her face. Summer walked over and gave her a quick hug. "And did you think I'd leave you out of this, Yang? It wouldn't be a family reunion without you here."

Yang blinked in surprise. "S-Summer?" she asked meekly, getting a sad smile from the green-cloaked woman.

"Yang, I know I'm not your birth mother, but that doesn't matter to me, and I hope it doesn't to you. You're my daughter no matter what you think or what Raven tells you when you find her, okay?" Summer asked, getting a weak nod from Yang before she wrapped her arm around the woman.

"Thank you… mom," Yang said meekly, tears running down her cheeks. The blonde stepped back, wiping her eyes before gesturing to Blake. "This is Blake. She's my partner on Team RWBY and, um…"

"Your girlfriend," Summer finished with a smile, causing the girls to blush while Tai blinked in shock. Summer quickly wrapped her arms around Blake, a warm smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Blake. I just wanted to thank you for helping Yang with her situation."

Blake blinked. "Um, no problem, Summer."

Summer stepped back and looked around. "So Ruby, where's Weiss at?" Ruby looked down and went to speak up before a voice called out.

"Ruby!" The wolf faunus perked up, turning around as her tail started wagging. Weiss ran in from the nearby park entrance wearing her t-shirt and jeans, carrying a container with her. Ruby was confused when she saw a bit of flour on the other girl's cheek. Weiss stopped in front of her, panting a bit before she held out the container. "Sorry, I just needed to make your present…" she said with a light blush.

Ruby looked down at the container and opened it, blinking in surprise. "You made me cookies?" she asked, a smile on her face. Weiss looked away with a blush, playing with her hands.

"Well, you said you missed your mother's cookies and when you took me to her grave, I figured Aurelius brought her back, so… I asked for the recipe." Ruby's smile brightened. "I messed up a few times and didn't have enough chocolate chips to make a complete batch, so I had to add some white chocolate into it…"

Ruby took one out and took a bite, letting out a content moan as her tail trembled. "Oh gods, Weiss, these are _amazing,_ thank you so much!" Ruby quickly finished to cookie before putting the container down and wrapping her girlfriend in a hug, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Weiss blushed at the praise and public display before smiling. "I'm glad you like them Ruby…"

"I _love_ them Weiss, they're maybe even better than mom's!" she said before turning meekly to Summer. "Sorry mom…"

Weiss blinked before looking at the woman. Summer smiled as she went to stand in front of the girl. "So, you're Weiss?" she asked, getting a meek nod from the heiress before smiling and wrapping her in a hug. "I just wanted to thank you so much for being there for my little rose bud when she needed help. I'm happy she found someone like you."

Weiss blushed. "Um… Thanks, uh… Do I call you Summer or…"

The woman giggled slightly. "Just call me Summer, okay?"

Weiss nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Summer, but I don't think I'm doing anything special, I just want to spend time with her and make her happy." Aurelius' Scroll chimed, causing him to glance at it.

Winter walked over with a slight smile. "Did you really go out of the way to make her cookies when you've never made anything before?" Weiss blushed slightly, squirming a bit. "You did… well, Weiss."

Weiss let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Winter." Weiss glanced at the table to see Nora looking into the box. "Ruby! The cookies!" Ruby spun around and grabbed the box of the table, causing Nora to jump at them.

"Stop! They're mine!" Ruby said, holding the box against her. Nora went to speak up before Ren shouted out behind her.

"Nora! Weiss just gave those to Ruby as a present! Can't you ask before you try to take one?" he said in exasperation. Nora went to respond when Aurelius shouted from nearby.

"Malum!" he swore, causing Ruby, Summer, and Adrienne flinched at the word.

Adrienne glanced at him nervously. "What's wrong?"

Aurelius glance between her and Winter. "Loki wasn't able to stop him." Winter took a step back while Adrienne ran a hand down her face.

"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked, glancing between the trio and Summer as she ran a hand through her hair.

Winter let out a sigh. "An SDC airship was trying to land at Bastion when we left. They were looking for you, Weiss… I think-" Winter was cut off by the sound of engines roaring overhead, causing everyone to glance up as an luxurious craft flew over the park, circling for a moment before knocking over a smaller tree near the tables to clear a landing area. Summer growled, tail twitching with frustration as the ship landed.

Weiss paled as she realized what was going on, taking a step behind Ruby. "N-no…"

Ruby looked behind herself at her scared girlfriend. "Weiss? What's going on?"

Weiss looked at Ruby, trembling slightly. "That airship… It's only used by _one_ person and he only uses it on a few occasions…" The hatch opened as a set of stairs extended, a group of SDC security officers stepping out before a man with white hair wearing a white business suit walked down the steps. He looked around the park in disgust before his eyes landed on Weiss, causing her to shrink back at the disappointed look she received. "It's my father…"

 **Well, things are about to get complicated for Weiss and Ruby. I figured that after the last few chapters and what's going to happen in the next chapter or two, having Jacques introduced by adding "is a dick to trees" to the list of things he's done wouldn't be too much of a stretch. Likewise, this chapter also hints that Summer does** _ **not**_ **like meaningless destruction of nature. Expect next chapter to be pretty emotional for Ruby and Weiss. As promised, however, Jacques will not be leaving Patch with Weiss.**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it.**


	43. Chapter 43: Discarded and an Offer

**I want to apologize for everyone annoyed at my cliffhanger last chapter. The main reason for it was because I felt if I didn't end the chapter there, the events of the previous chapter would have been overshadowed, but it seems like Jacques arrival** _ **still**_ **managed to overshadow it for many people, which saddens me a bit.**

 **Just a warning, this chapter is going to be harsh on Weiss and reveal a bit about her in this story. I apologize in advance for this, please don't hate me.**

 **PLEASE READ CLOSING AN.**

 **Chapter 43: Discarded and an Offer**

 **Patch, Park**

Jacques stepped off the airship, looking around at the collection of tables and the small crowd surrounding them. His eyes landed on Weiss and a look of disgust crossed his face. He walked forward, glaring as she shrank behind Ruby. "Weiss," he said in a calm, cold voice that made her flinch. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Weiss swallowed nervously. "Um… Having a birthday party for a friend?" she said, causing Ruby to glance at her.

Jacques scoffed. "You call these people and _animals_ your friends? At best they're only interested in you for your status as heiress to _my_ company and your reputation as a singer, and you know it, don't you?" he said, causing Weiss to flinch, tearing up slightly.

"N-no… That's not…" she muttered weakly, looking down.

Ruby's ears drooped slightly. _"Weiss… That's not true… Has he raised you saying that your only worth is your title and position?"_ Ruby went to speak up when Jacques continued.

"And look at you, dressed like a commoner off the street and eating this… _disgusting_ food in some backwater town!" he yelled, causing Ruby to glare at him while Weiss looked down, starting to tremble slightly.

"There's _nothing_ wrong with Patch! Why do you-" she started before Jacques spoke up.

"Be quiet, you mangy beast!" he spat out with a snarl. Summer quickly stepped between the two, eyes shining dangerously.

"Don't you _dare_ talk to my daughter like that, do you hear me? More importantly, don't talk to your _own_ daughter like that!" the Green Rose said.

"Perhaps you should worry more about raising your spawn more properly instead of criticizing me for how I raise my children if you want people to mistake you for _human_ ," he said with a sneer.

Summer's tail twitched angrily before she spoke up. "I've been a _far_ better parent than you and I was dead!" she snapped, causing Jacques to blink in surprise. "What's _your_ excuse for not being able to compete with a dead woman?"

"Obviously you're insane if you expect me to believe you were dead at any point. I don't feel the need to justify your bizarre accusation," Jacques said, dismissively before turned to Weiss. "Weiss, we're leaving. Pack whatever things you have on this blasted island and we'll sort through what's acceptable for you to have when we return to Atlas."

Weiss stared at her father wide-eyed, tears running down her cheeks. "What? Why? I need to be here to help Ruby and my team!"

Jacques cast a glance at the Red Rose before giving her a withering glare. "This is the one you risked your life to save during the tournament?" Weiss paled. "I only permitted you to remain on your team because I assumed you wouldn't let this _animal_ influence you. I suppose I was wrong."

Weiss felt her anger start to rise at this as she subtly clenched her fists. _"I don't care what you say about me, but I won't stand by while you insult Ruby."_

Jacques spoke up without looking away from Ruby. "Weiss, get on the-"

"No," Weiss said with a trembling voice, causing Ruby and Jacques to look at her.

"No?" Jacques asked incredulously. "You have the gall to tell me _no_?" He glanced at Ruby's warm smile before narrowing his eyes. "I see how it is. Weiss, I cannot allow you to let this… _thing_ twist your mind!"

"Father, she isn't-" Weiss spoke up before Aurelius stepped forward, a look of annoyance on his face as his ear twitched.

"Jacques, do you have a problem?" the Blue Rose said calmly, eyes glowing slightly. Jacques glanced at him and scoffed.

"Of course you would turn yourself into an animal, _Bisman_. Go back to your hole, this doesn't concern you," Jacques snapped.

"It does when you insult my family and their friends," Aurelius responded, hands behind his back.

Jacques scoffed. "Family? Do you honestly expect me to think you know anything about family? Let me explain this to you. Weiss is _my_ daughter. She is the heiress to the SDC and nothing more." Ruby subtly gripped Weiss' hand, giving it a squeeze when she saw the white-haired girl tremble. "If I tell her to do something, I expect her to do it, and I will _not_ stand for her deluding herself into dating a faunus girl just because she thinks an animal can love her!"

"They are very much in love. They deserve to be happy and they're happiest together. I will _not_ allow a self-important man child ruin it for them!" The Blue Rose declared, not noticing the smile from Winter.

"I'm at least twice your age and far more mature than you, _Bisman_. You have no right to call me a child!" Jacques snarled, causing Aurelius to let out a short laugh.

"I'm over 2600 years old, Jacques! You are all children to me, but you especially will still be a child even on your death bed!"

Jacques growled. "I don't care what you think. Weiss is my daughter and I won't have her spending time with a filthy, worthless mutt!"

Something snapped inside Weiss the moment she heard that. "She is _not a mutt!_ " she screamed, tears running down her cheeks. "She is a person! She has hopes and dreams! She has people that she cares about and people that care about her! People like me! I don't care what you say about me, but don't you dare-"

Everyone watched in shock as Jacques stepped forward, slapping Weiss hard enough to knock her off her feet. Ruby let out a scream. "Don't you fucking touch Weiss, you bastard!" she roared before flinging herself at Jacques, only for Aurelius to grab her hood, bringing her to a stop as Winter quickly put herself between her father and the rest of Teams RWBY and JNPR.

"Attacking him won't help matters, Ruby!" Aurelius growled through gritted teeth. "The last thing we need is for him to go back to Atlas and portraying this as a Rose attacking him for no reason when we can't counter it." Ruby continued to struggle for a moment before Aurelius let out a frustrated growl. "Mors!" Ruby, Adrienne, and Summer cowered slightly at the word. "I should throw you into that ship of yours and send you back to Atlas, Jacques!"

"We offer this soul to Thanatos and beg for his mercy on his behalf, though he deserves none. May he be judged fairly for his crimes and be given a chance at redemption in the next life…" Adrienne muttered under her breath, causing Blake, Yang, and Team JNPR to look at her strangely.

"I was trying to be reasonable," Jacques said, straightening his tie. "I was going to give her a chance to come back, but it appears she has made her choice. By siding with Winter and these… _animals_ , including you, she has proven herself to be undeserving of her position as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. She is nothing more than embarrassment to the Schnee family name and I will refuse to allow anyone to refer to her as my daughter." Weiss looked on, wide-eyed before a quiet sob escaped her. "Perhaps if she comes to her senses and decides to abandon this nonsense and her _pet_ I'll consider welcoming her back into the family."

Aurelius glared darkly at the man before turning to Weiss. He knelt down for a moment, idly registering the concerned look on Winter's face. "Weiss…" he muttered, causing the girl to look at him, trembling slightly. "I know I told you that you would be welcome amongst my family…" Weiss looked panicked before he continued. "…but I think you deserve to know just how serious I was when I said that and that people care about you." Weiss looked on in confusion. "I'm sure you're aware that I can turn people into faunus, but it might be possible to do something more… _unique_."

Weiss blinked, eyes widening. "W-what do you… Are you saying…"

Aurelius smiled. "As I said, you are always welcome with us, but if you so choose I could try to make you a proper member of my family, with all the benefits and quirks involved."

Jacques growled to himself before smiling cruelly. "Sure, you could do that, Weiss, but we both know that without your title of heiress you're nothing, and if you take this offer and become one of those _animals_ , you'll be less than nothing."

Aurelius let out a growl before standing up. "Jacques… Leave. _Now_. I will not tolerate your presence any longer. You'll be leaving Patch even if I have to knock you unconscious and take you back to Atlas myself."

Jacques shrugged as he turned towards his ship. "Why would I want to spend any more time on this island? All that's here are filthy animals, backwards country dwellers…" He paused to cast a glance at Weiss. "…And worthless nobodies."

Weiss looked down and let out a sob, causing Ruby to drop down and wrap her in a hug. Aurelius glared at Jacques as the man stepped onto his ship, his gaze torn away when Weiss let out a strangled cry, burying her face into Ruby's chest as she sobbed. Yang walked over, eying the normally calm girl nervously. "What's going on with her?" she muttered to Winter, getting a sad sigh in return.

"Our… _father_ is far more controlling than you would think. When I was heiress, he tried to instill a sense of duty onto me that I needed to do everything I could to be a proper daughter and a suitable successor. When I chose to join the Atlesian military out of defiance, I didn't learn until later, but… He exerted his influence on Weiss in even worse ways, drilling it into her head that she was nothing if she wasn't the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, that her singing was a distraction he chose to permit, that it was her duty to bring pride to the Schnee name… And that the only reason anyone cared for her was because of her name."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Her heart may have found something she cares for more, but to spend your entire life being told you exist solely to fulfill a singular purpose and then have it torn away from you… It's not something many people can take, mentally or emotionally. When someone is told every day of their life that they're worthless without a certain person or their connection to a group, it's even worse."

Yang clenched her fist. "So, when he said all that…"

Summer looked down with tears in her eyes. "He was deliberately trying to destroy her spirit and make her doubt that any of this was real so she would come back."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "It doesn't matter. He may have been the one to do this, but we will be the ones to help her pick up the pieces." Winter glanced at him with a weak, but grateful smile. He looked around the park with a sigh. "We should get everything cleaned up… Ruby, we'll take care of this. Take Weiss back home and keep her company, alright?"

Ruby looked up and nodded sadly. She went to stand up before Weiss gripped onto her more tightly, causing her to sit back down. "Don't worry, Weiss. We'll head back home when you're ready, okay?" Weiss nodded slightly, but didn't answer otherwise. Ruby glanced in the direction Jacques' airship left, anger building inside her. _"I don't care how much wealth or power you have, Jacques. You hurt Weiss and I swear I'll never forgive you. Whatever Aurelius has planned, I'm going to help every step of the way…"_

 **Several days later, Xiao Long Residence Living Room, with Yang, Blake, Aurelius, Winter, and Ruby**

"So, I hear you managed to get the CCT Network fixed up last night," Yang said to Aurelius, sitting in front of the television as she casually browsed channels.

"We were able to create a method of allowing some of the technology used in the CCT Towers to interface with Bastion's systems. It's a beautiful combination of Sanctuary's arcane design and Atlesian tech, though I'm more than a little worried about what's going to come out of Atlas over the next few days," Aurelius said, a frown on his face.

Blake looked at the Blue Rose before speaking up. "There's something I wanted to ask. What's with all the words your family uses? I've heard Ruby say nox quite a bit, umbra's come up a few times, but you've also used malum and mors." Ruby squirmed in her seat at the last word.

Aurelius let out a sigh. "When Salem, the Black Rose, betrayed us, it became common practice for the Rose family to use words associated with black roses as curses and profanities. Nox and umbra are the weakest of the four most common, being tied to black roses simply because they're words often used to describe the color. Malum means misfortune, a common thing that black roses represent, making it one of the more extreme. Mors, however, means death and when used by a Rose is meant to invoke my declaration that Salem would pay tenfold for her crimes. When used by another Rose, it's meant to imply the person they're cursing deserves a painful death, but if _I_ say it, it's a subtle promise of a true punishment. In this case, Jacques will pay for everything he's done. Before he dies, he will see everything he's worked for destroyed in front of his very eyes. He will be reduced to nothing, and then he will be forced to live as nothing for a month before he may die… If I happen to remember he exists in the first place." As he said this, an image of Jacques appeared on the screen, causing Yang to pause at the news program.

"It saddens me to say that the rumors that Weiss is no longer heiress are true." Jacques said, starting his speech. "The recent attack on Vale and Beacon, terrible as it was, has left my beloved daughter with severe mental and emotional trauma. While I'm not entirely certain how much this has affected her, I feel that it is responsible for her choice to engage in a homosexual relationship with a faunus, something that borders on bestiality." Ruby let out a growl as he continued his speech. "When I finally found her, I begged her to return home. I tried my best to make her see she needed professional help, but she refused. As many of you now, the vast majority of the world's Dust is mined, refined, or both by the Schnee Dust Company and, as a result, I cannot allow the company to pass to someone so clearly unstable. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart, I must announce that I had to disown my daughter until she agrees to get the help she needs." A small applause came from the crowd before the program returned to the news anchor, but the group turned around at the quiet sniffle behind them.

Ruby looked sadly at the white-haired girl as she wiped her bloodshot eyes. The Red Rose quickly jumped up, moving over to her girlfriend. "Weiss? Is something wrong?"

Weiss leaned against the girl, whimpering slightly. "He took away my singing," she said, voice breaking as Ruby's eyes widened. Ruby quickly wrapped the girl in a hug.

"What do you mean? What did Jacques do?"

"H-he called my record studio and threatened to cut off their Dust supply if they didn't terminate their contact with me…" She let out a quiet sob as she buried her face into Ruby's shoulder. "You're the only thing he hasn't taken from me…"

Ruby gently rubbed her girlfriend's back, tears forming in her eyes. "It's okay Weiss, let it all out…" Weiss sobbed as Ruby rocked from side to side. "I won't leave you. I swear, I'll never leave your side, okay?" Weiss nodded meekly and continued to tremble in Ruby's arms.

After a while, Weiss calmed down slightly and sat on the couch. She pulled her legs up and tucked her knees under her chin, looking at Aurelius. "About that offer you gave me yesterday…" she started before taking a deep breath. "What would happen if I accepted?"

Aurelius tapped the armrest of the chair he was sitting in. "That wholly depends on you." Weiss looked up at the Blue Rose in confusion. "At the basic level, you will, for all intents and purposes, become a true Rose, with all the powers, weaknesses, and responsibilities that come with it. Your body will most likely shift to reflect this, such as your eyes turning silver or your hair changing, along with whatever changes you wish to improve on. On top of that, you may remain human or become a faunus depending on what you wish. As a Rose, you would be as much one of my family as Ruby, Summer, or Adrienne as well." Weiss nodded and went to speak before Aurelius put a hand up. "However, I feel you should understand that while you would gain much, you would lose parts of yourself as well. Your personality would be the same, but other than that, there's no way to be certain what you will gain or lose."

Weiss nodded. "And if I refuse?"

Aurelius looked at her sadly. "While you won't be a Rose in the same way Ruby is, you will still be welcome among us. So long as you choose to stand beside Ruby, you will be considered family."

Weiss looked down. "Could I have some time to think about it, please?"

Aurelius nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder as he stood up. "Take as long as you need. Winter and I need to return to Bastion to help plan the reconstruction. We will return in a few days to check on you, alright?" Weiss nodded slightly as Aurelius went towards to door.

Winter knelt down and wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Weiss."

Weiss let out a sad sigh. "It's not your fault, Winter. You couldn't have known any of this would happen."

Winter looked at Weiss sadly before standing up. "Be safe, alright?" Weiss nodded before Winter stepped outside, blinking as she saw Aurelius on his Scroll. "What are you doing?"

Aurelius glanced up briefly. "I am trying to come up with a solution to this mess, or at least part of it." Winter raised an eyebrow at this. "Have you ever heard of the Tri Peaks Records Studio? It's been around since before the Great War, has been having difficulty getting enough Dust to operate for almost six years due to being owned by a faunus, and, most importantly, they're big fans of a certain singer." Winter blinked for a second before smiling.

"Do you really intend to convince them to offer Weiss a contract?" she asked.

"Of course. I can't sit by while Jacques destroys her life, after all," he said, dialing a number as he walked down the path, leaving Winter to smile with a light blush on her face.

" _I never expected you to go this far for her…"_ she thought before she started to follow behind.

 **Long chapter, probably the hardest to write simply because I don't like the idea of tearing Weiss down like this. As you can see, Jacques is** _ **evil**_ **and Aurelius is going to make him suffer in every way he can if he gets to Jacques first.**

 **Weiss is going to be struggling with the choice she now has to make for a while. At present, if she takes the offer the only physical change I'm not certain of is her hair, with her probably becoming a faunus if she takes the offer.**

 **Weiss' white hair is fairly iconic for her character, but I feel like it'd be a reminder of the past she was forced to abandon and her old self. There's three other options, however. The first, and most subtle, is that her hair stays mostly white while the tips of her hair, faunus ears, and tail become black. The second option is that her hair simply takes on the traditional Rose family style of being black with the tips being the same color as her cloak. The third is more symbolic of it starting out white with black tips, but the black essentially "creeps" up until her hair is completely black, after which the tips become white. The third option would basically symbolize her adjusting to her new life and her quest to become a new person, the one she was always meant to be.**

 **As always, leave a review to let me know what you think of this question, give input on the chapter, or tell me that I'm a horrible person for writing this chapter in the first place.**


	44. Chapter 44: Picking Up the Pieces

**I'm a little sad at how many people want Weiss to keep her hair either pure white or white with black tips. Maybe I'm just obsessed with symbolism and think the idea of her hair slowly changing from white with black tips to black with white tips to show her becoming a new person is neat because of that, I'm not sure. For people concerned about Weiss losing her iconic color if her hair ends up with the usual Rose thing of being black with the tips the color of their cloak, remember that I've already said in that case that Weiss' hair would have** _ **white**_ **tips. If/when she becomes a Rose, she's going to be a White Rose.**

 **If you feel like I need to take a step back on this topic, feel free to let me know.**

 **An apology to the guest reviewer that keeps posting reviews with deviantart URLs, but it's a bit difficult to find what you're trying to share a link to...**

 **Cadeliam- The plan is that Weiss would still have her Glyphs, both because (from a narrative perspective) the semblance synergizes well with the Rose family's Dust magic and to show that there's things Jacques can never take from her, even if she doesn't feel that way right now. Besides her bond with Winter, the Schnee family Glyphs are probably the only thing that would carry over from her old life before Beacon.**

 **For literally everyone who suggested Weiss end up a fox, Bookah beat you to it by about half a month or so. That's been the plan since the idea of Weiss becoming a faunus first popped up, long before the idea of Weiss becoming a Rose.**

 **Anyways, it's time to get back to the story.**

 **Chapter 44: Picking Up the Pieces**

 **Xiao Long Residence, Ruby's Room, with Weiss**

Weiss let out a sigh as she lay in Ruby's bed, staring out the window. _"He took everything. My reputation, my name, my singing, my inheritance… All I have left is Ruby and he had to go and make me doubt that too…"_ Weiss looked up as the door opened, her girlfriend stepping into the room quietly.

"Weiss? You've been up here since the party. Could we do something? Please?" the girl asked meekly, causing the former heiress to sigh sadly.

"Ruby… I just want to be left alone right now…" Weiss said, laying back down. She heard the door close and closed her eyes, trying to avoid bursting into tears. She let out a squeak on she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Ruby! I said I wanted to be left alone!"

Ruby gently lifted Weiss into a sitting position before sitting next to her. "I know, but I'm worried about you. Can you at least tell me what's wrong, Weiss?"

Weiss let out a sigh, looking at her hands. "It's just… I grew up hearing my fa… hearing _Jacques_ tell me everything he said when he was here. I believed it for so long that by the time I became a singer, I'd almost given up hope of being anything else. Just applying to Beacon took more courage than I knew I had and that was before the Goliath, now…" Weiss looked down. "He's taken everything away from me and I can't help but wonder if he was right? I'm terrified that, someday, you'll leave me too and I'll be completely alone…" Weiss let out a squeak as Ruby pulled her into a hug.

"No. Don't talk like that!" Ruby said, looking Weiss in the eye. "I told you before, I won't leave you! Never, do you understand that?" Ruby's tail twitched as several thoughts passed through her mind. _"I could show her how serious I am about that, just a few minutes and- no! This isn't the time for that!"_

Weiss looked down for a moment. "I know, i-it's just… When he said everyone was only friends with me because of my position as heiress and my singing, I just… I just couldn't help but remember how _we_ met and how much you gushed about my music and it terrifies me because I'm afraid the only reason you became my friend in the first place was because of my singing. Now that it's gone…"

Ruby put a finger to Weiss' lips. "That's not why we became friends. Sure, I was a huge fan of your music and I still am, but we became friends after we were partnered together in the Initiation. You decided to give me a chance to prove I wasn't like what the rest of the world thought the Rose family was like and you treated me as a _person_ , not a dangerous animal that could snap at any time. That's why we ended up becoming friends and why I fell in love with you in the first place. Not because you were Weiss Schnee, the heiress, or Weiss Schnee, the singer, but because you were _Weiss_." Weiss teared up slightly as Ruby continued. "It wouldn't matter if you were a Schnee or some random girl from a poor family here in Vale just trying to make a better life for herself. As long as you were Weiss, as long as you were as kind and caring as you are, I would still fall in love with you…"

Ruby stopped to give Weiss a quick peck on the nose. "And that's something Jacques can _never_ take away from you. Okay?"

Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby, smiling weakly as she buried her head in the girl's shoulder. "Thank you…"

Ruby smiled sadly. "I'm just telling you the truth. There isn't a reason to thank me, Weiss."

Weiss pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Still… I feel like I've been a poor friend lately and a worse girlfriend…"

Ruby shook her head. "Weiss, if you _didn't_ get at least a little upset about what Jacques did to you, I'd be worried. You lost most of your world, you just needed time to come to terms with it…" Ruby looked down sadly. "It's just… I'm getting worried about you now."

Weiss looked at the wolf faunus with an apologetic smile. "How about you let me get changed and I'll go for a walk with you, okay?"

Ruby smiled as her ears perked up. "Sure! I'll just give you some privacy then," Ruby said before giving Weiss a quick peck on the lips.

Once the door closed Weiss let out a sigh. _"I swear I'll find a way to make this up to you Ruby… Just because I'm worried about if I deserve you now doesn't mean I should just ignore you like this."_ She got up and went to change.

Ruby paced anxiously in the living room, tail twitching in frustration while Blake watched in amusement and Yang looked on in confusion. "Is something wrong, Ruby?" Blake asked. None of them heard Weiss stop at the top of the stairs.

Ruby let out a frustrated sigh and turned to face the cat faunus. "Blake, have you ever had… issues with controlling your instincts?" Yang blinked in confusion before Blake let out a sigh.

"Every faunus has difficulty with it from time to time, Ruby. You're going to have to be more specific," Blake said before Yang spoke up.

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" she asked, causing the two faunus to look at each other nervously before Blake spoke up.

"While it's obvious that every faunus has at least one, and sometimes two, animal traits, many humans don't know that the differences are more than just physical. Every faunus also has a collection of animal instincts that range from increasing sensitivity to smells and sounds to certain… urges," Blake said with a blush. "This animal half of every faunus usually starts out with roughly the same instincts, but it can vary and change based off parts of the faunus' personality and subconscious. Every faunus has one part of it that's harder to control. So, I have to ask, which part are you having problems with, Ruby?"

Ruby glanced at Yang meekly before answering. "Could we talk about this somewhere else please?"

Yang hopped up. "Nope, uh-uh, you two aren't leaving me out of this. I want to know exactly what's going on."

The wolf faunus looked down meekly, pressing the tips of her fingers together. "W-well… Weiss is kinda scared that she's going to lose me at some point like everything else, so… Part of me, kinda, sorta… wanted to make her my mate so she wouldn't have to worry about that…"

Yang blinked in confusion before Blake spoke up. "Ruby! You can't be serious! You can't do that after what happened!"

Weiss frowned from her hiding spot. _"Her mate? What does that even mean with this?"_

"Okay, I'm confused. Is one of you going to tell me what you're talking about?" Yang asked, causing Blake to sigh.

"Like I said, a faunus' animal side has instincts related to everything… Even sex," Blake said, causing Yang and Weiss to blush. "For most faunus, letting go of control of our animal side makes the act more… _enjoyable_. The issue is, if a faunus willingly sleeps with someone while in that state, they become the faunus' mate."

Weiss turned a deep red as she processed this. _"Ruby wants to sleep with me to show that she'll never abandon me? How would that help?"_ Weiss shook her head as her imagination started to wander to less appropriate images. _"Oh god, I don't need to be thinking about what kind of underwear she wears right now either!"_

"So kinda like getting married, but more fun?" Yang asked with a blush. _"I wonder if Blake's ever thought of doing that with me…"_

"Not… quite…" Ruby said meekly, causing Yang to look at her. "Taking a mate isn't as formal or officially recognized as marriage, but for almost every faunus, mates are for life." The four girls were blushing bright red at this point. "Once a faunus takes a mate while letting their animal nature free, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for them to have any attraction to anyone else unless their mate dies or certain conditions are met."

Weiss looked down, biting her lip. _"She's willing to do that for me? I mean, I'm not really too thrilled with the idea of our first time being just to help me get over this, but the fact she's willing to do that is… sweet"_ Weiss took a deep breath before walking down the stairs, trying to keep the blush off her face. "Thank you for waiting, Ruby. I'm ready to go now."

Ruby spun around and smiled at Weiss meekly before nodding. "Alright, want to go to the park?" Weiss gave her a small smile that made the wolf's heart flutter.

"Sure, we can do that," Weiss said as she grabbed her girlfriend's hand, walking toward the door with her.

Yang watched the couple leave before turning to Blake. "So… I've gotta ask now, have you ever wanted to take me as your mate?"

Blake blushed and looked away. "I'd rather wait until I know we're both ready before taking that step."

Yang held up her hand. "Okay, sorry kitten," she said meekly. _"Although, you never said you haven't thought about it…"_

 **At the Park, with Ruby and Weiss**

"Hey Ruby?" Weiss asked, causing the wolf to turn to face her. "I know I haven't done anything with you lately and I'm really sorry. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss. "You can let me help. You said it yourself, Jacques destroyed most of your world and who you are. Let me help you pick up the pieces and help rebuild them, okay?"

Weiss meekly returned the hug. "I would, but… How can I pull myself back together when I don't even know who I am anymore?"

Ruby smiled. "By working to become who you _want_ to be." Weiss went to respond when her Scroll rang. She looked down at her pocket in annoyance before Ruby smiled. "Go ahead, Weiss, answer it. I'll wait, okay?"

Weiss nodded, giving Ruby an apologetic glance as she pulled her Scroll out of her jeans pocket. She glanced at the strange number in confusion before answering it. "Hello?"

"Hello!" a cheerful female voice chirped from the other side of the call. "I'm calling on behalf of Tri Peaks Records. Is this Weiss… um…"

Weiss frowned slightly. "I'm Weiss. Can I help you?"

"Oh! Well, first off, I'd like to give my condolences for what happened to you. From what I've heard, you're a very talented person and I find it hard to believe any of what Jacques Schnee said about you is true," the woman said.

"I apologize if this sounds rude, but I was trying to spend time with my girlfriend…" Weiss said meekly.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'll make this quick, okay? The president of Tri Peaks Records is a big fan of yours and when he heard that your previous record agency dropped you, he insisted that we try to contact you."

Weiss blinked in surprise. "What? Why would he do that?" _"Am I really worth that effort now? I didn't think anyone would want anything to do with me after that."_

"Like I said, he's a huge fan and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with you. He wanted me to offer you a record deal if you're still willing to continue your singing," the woman said cheerfully.

Weiss smiled slightly. "Really?"

"Yep! He only has one requirement and an optional request. In order to start, he'd like you to write a new song for our exclusive distribution. As a request, he'd like you to perform the song at an event in Bastion meant to boost the spirits of the people of Vale after the recent battle. You don't need to do this, but he thinks it'd help everyone involved."

Weiss nodded slowly. "I'll see if I can write anything and come in when I have time, alright?"

"That's perfect! I'll let him know. I hope you have a wonderful day!" The woman disconnected shortly after.

Weiss smiled at her Scroll, eyes watering slightly. _"They're still willing to take a risk on me after what's happened…"_

"So, what's this about writing?" Ruby said with a smile, hands behind her back as her head tilted to the side with one ear drooping slightly. Weiss made the mistake of looking at the girl and had to resist the urge to squeal.

" _Oh god, it should be illegal to be that cute!"_ Weiss thought before closing her Scroll. "That was Tri Peaks Records. It seems they're willing to sign a recording contract with me despite what Jacques has done to my reputation. They want me to write a song for them first, though…"

Ruby's smile brightened. "That's great, Weiss! I know you can do it!"

Weiss smiled back. "Yeah…" _"If you think I can do this Ruby, I'll do it for you…"_

 **Bastion, Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office**

"So, you honestly expect me to pretend to be unaware that you contacted Tri Peaks Records and told them to offer Wiess a contract?" Winter asked in surprise.

Aurelius hummed as he glanced up. "No, I expect you to pretend that _nobody_ contacted Tri Peaks and offered them an Animus Dust crystal to power their record studio in exchange for offering your sister a contract. If Weiss tells you that she got a record deal, I expect you to act surprised and pretend you knew nothing about it."

Winter blinked. "And why do you expect me to do that?"

"For the same reason I'm against the donation to being public knowledge. I did this to help Weiss gain some confidence and self-worth. She needs to believe that it was only her talent and the president's interest in her music that dove the decision. If Weiss knows either of us had anything to do with Tri Peaks' decision, it defeats the entire purpose." Aurelius glanced back down at the papers on his desk, not noticing Winter's warm smile.

"I get the impression that you've had a great deal of experience being a father," she said suddenly, causing him to blink in surprise.

"I… suppose so. I did help raise many members of the Rose family before the Fall of Sanctuary. Is there any reason you mention this?" he asked, causing Winter to blink in surprise.

"No… Just an… observation," the woman said, a slight hint of confusion in her voice. Aurelius looked at her strangely, ear twitching before going back to his work, leaving Winter to her thoughts. _"Why does that matter to me exactly?"_

 **This chapter's done. Basically, what's happening is Weiss is dealing with the aftermath of last chapter's events and Aurelius is showing just how different his approach to things is from Jacques.**

 **Also, Ruby's conversation with Blake will come back later. As stated a few chapters back, this story** _ **will**_ **soon be containing lemons, probably within the next 3-7 chapters.**

 **Lastly, it seems a few people are interested in coming up with a ship name for Aurelius and Winter. The ones that have been suggested so far are: Permafrost, Ice Age, Snow Storm, and Blizzard. If you feel the ship actually needs a name, you can either recommend one of those or suggest another one. The debate started last chapter is still ongoing by the way, so feel free to continue posting your opinion in reviews, either to just comment on it or try to convince me to lean one way or the other.**


	45. Chapter 45: Realization, Understanding

**Looking through everyone's comments since chapter 43, even combining the people in favor of Weiss keeping pure white hair with those in favor of her having white with black tips and a number of people in favor of specific, minor changes, it still results in a near-tie with the number of people in favor of her either immediately or gradually shifting to black hair with white tips. This creates a problem since if I split the first group up into the individual solutions voted on, it ends up with her eventually having black hair with white tips getting a fairly large plurality. As a result of this, and out of respect for a request from a reviewer that she keeps a bit more white in her hair, I'll most likely have her intentionally keep a few streaks of white that go from root to tip.**

 **My goal was for her to end up with silver eyes as well, but I may have it be that her eyes have a few specks of blue in them as well, if only because Neo kind of already has the eye-color changing thing going for her.**

 **For the guest reviewer asking about Weiss' song, she's actually going to be writing "This Life is Mine." There's going to be some fun moments with her and Aurelius using it to torment Jacques, along with another "Loki trolls Jacques" scene soon.**

 **On another note, I've managed to see the first episode of Volume 5 as of last night and I've made an observation. I do** _ **not**_ **believe I will be able to use the character of Professor Lionheart as he is at present. My plans for Mistral always required him to be based off another character/person that people tend to think of when they hear the name "Lionheart," Richard I of England, a man known for being a fierce, courageous fighter and having a short temper. This, ironically, makes him the exact opposite of canon Professor Lionheart, or at least what he appears to be.**

 **Chapter 45: Realization and Understanding**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, with Weiss**

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she crumpled up the paper in her hand, quickly throwing it into the nearby waste bin. She tapped her pencil against the table as she looked down. _"Writing songs never seemed this hard before…"_ she thought to herself, head propped up on her free hand. _"Why can't I think of anything?"_

Weiss heard a knock on the door and let out a frustrated sigh. She turned to look as the door open and blinked in surprise at who walked through. "Winter? What are you doing here?"

Winter smiled at her sister as she stepped forward. "We've found everyone we possibly can in the ruined areas of Vale and Aurelius insisted on organizing a festival to help boost spirits. He insisted I take a break, so I felt that I should check on you." Winter put a hand on Weiss' shoulder and looked at the sheets laying on the table. "I see you're trying to write a new song."

Weiss scoffed, putting the pencil down. "I think "failing" would be a better word than "trying" in this case…" the girl said, putting her head down. "I just… I can't think of anything anymore. What am I going to do?"

Winter brought a chair over to sit next to Weiss, looking at her for a moment. "Perhaps you just need some time to clear your head. Why don't you tell me about your time in Beacon while we think about it? I'm curious about how you came to be in love with your team leader," Winter stated, causing Weiss to blush. While the woman was genuinely curious, she was also interested in learning more about the girl.

"Well… I suppose it all started when I arrived at Beacon. I brought a large number of Dust canisters with me so I wouldn't have to worry about running out when using Myrtenaster and Ruby almost fell on top of them."

"What do you mean almost?" Winter asked, causing Weiss to sigh.

"I had them in a number of cases on a luggage cart and Ruby lost her balance. I didn't know it at the time, but her primary semblance, the Rose Storm, allowed her to recover almost instantly after her tail brushed against the cart. I guess the casual show of her abilities stopped me from simply exploding at her. After that, her interest in my singing stopped me from making any remarks about her being a faunus and, in the time since, I'm actually ashamed to admit that I ever thought so poorly of the faunus in general, especially after Ruby went out of her way to defend me in front of Blake back when she insisted every Schnee was heartless. Ruby was just… She didn't _care_ I was a Schnee. She wanted to treat me like a person, to let my actions and opinions speak for me instead of the views of Jacques." Winter frowned subtly, thinking about her own meeting with Aurelius. "Not only that, but when I agreed to walk with her to orientation, she explained how she did that and she had the cutest look I've ever seen!" Weiss said with a small smile.

Winter smiled at her sister. "So, you had an interest in her even back then?"

Weiss blushed slightly. "Maybe, I'm not sure. I had a brief chance to learn more about her the night before Initiation, when I learned that she's terrified at the thought of losing her cloak, and during initiation I realized that we both hated the fact that people judged us for who our families are instead of by our own merits. When she suggested that we don't think of each other as a Schnee or a Rose, I knew I had to agree… Or, perhaps it'd be more accurate to say I was _meant_ to agree. After Initiation, we'd fallen into a prank Aurelius had played back when he was still Professor Bisman." Winter raised an eyebrow at this, causing Weiss to continue meekly. "He said there were two spots in Emerald Forest that, if anyone was paired up in, would eventually cause them to fall in love. Ruby and I had been paired up in one of those locations, with Blake and Yang being paired up in the other. Bisman, or Aurelius I guess, said it was just a joke, but at the time the thought of it being true terrified me enough I almost completely pushed Ruby away."

Winter smiled. "It seems that you've changed your mind on the matter."

Weiss nodded. "I'm honestly glad I did, if not…" she took a deep breath and continued her story. "Anyways, after this I decided to try to bury the hatchet so to speak. We ended up becoming good friends and I got her a ticket to one of my concerts. After that, she shared a bit about her family's history with me and shared anything else she learned when she could. As time went on, I started to find myself looking forward to any time we would spend together and missing her dearly when she wasn't around, even if I didn't want to admit it. When we had a dance, I wanted to convince myself that she was just a good friend, but the person I asked out turned me down and Ruby had seen me ask someone else out. When I heard she was going to ask someone out and had to see that, not knowing it was me… I actually felt jealous and angry at whoever could do that to her. Then when we got to the dance, Ruby asked _me_ to dance with her, saying she didn't want me to say I didn't get to dance with anyone… The entire thing and what she said to me… I knew I was in love with her when that happened."

Winter frowned, thinking back to her own interactions with Aurelius. The way his subtle, almost teasing, acknowledgements of her ability to think for herself and her slowly becoming more open affected her. The concern she felt when he ran off during the Battle of Beacon. The way her face heats up whenever he teases her or when she gets caught watching his tail or ears move… The way he's been so open and welcoming to her and Weiss. Winter didn't hear Weiss calling to her as she thought back to all the questions he'd asked her and the comments he made.

" _Why was I really asking him so much about Sanctuary when I could have outright asked what I wanted to know? Why was I so concerned about his condition after he fought Cinder? Why did I insist on taking this assignment when being around him make me uncomfortable?"_ A few new questions entered her mind. _"Why did I not notice that I was pressing myself against him when I tried to see what Weiss was messaging him? And why did Qrow's taunting remark about me being on a date with Aurelius affect me so strongly?"_ Winter thought back to the only hint Aurelius had given her on the topic.

" _It's something I can't simply tell you. It's something that part of you already knows, even if you're not aware of it… The only person who can tell you what I've been trying to teach you is yourself, and you can only learn it when you're ready."_ Winter went wide-eyed as she finally understood what Aurelius meant when he said every question had the same answer, and that answer just hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Winter? Are you-" Weiss started before Winter interrupted.

"Oh god, I'm in love with Aurelius," she muttered absentmindedly, causing Weiss to blink in surprise.

"U-um, okay? What's that got to do with anything?" Weiss asked meekly before Winter blinked, her face turning bright red.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about something he told me," Winter said quickly, taking a deep breath. "Weiss, I think I understand why you're having such a hard time right now." Weiss looked at her older sister hopefully. "Before, you could always look to the past and know that it would be yours one day, that it was your _duty_ to carry on where others left off. You could also look to the future and see everything you wanted to do and everything you had to do in order to make everything worth it. Jacques ensured that even if your heart looked to the future, your mind would be stuck in the past and duties that shouldn't be yours." Weiss went to retort, a glare on her face, when Winter put a hand on her shoulder. "Stop to think about it. He took away every tie you had to the past and you immediately felt like the future you hoped for was forever out of your reach, didn't you?"

Weiss looked down meekly. "Yes…"

"Aurelius predicted that you might find yourself in a situation like this. He said that you would be forced into a position where your mind and heart would be torn between your perceived duty to the past and the hope for a brighter future. He said that you couldn't pick one without sacrificing the other and that it would destroy you."

Weiss pulled her legs up, tucking them under her chin. "So, what do I do? Do I pick one and let the misery eat away at me until I finally give up?"

Winter put a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "No, you do what Aurelius said you would have to do." Weiss looked at her in confusion. "You need to find a way to not only reconcile them, but ground yourself in the present."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Weiss asked.

"Focus on what you do have. Remember, you have Ruby and she'll always be with you, so you can rely on her to help you rebuild yourself and keep you in the present. When you wake up in the morning, I want you to look in the mirror and name off things you can be proud of. I want you to do this until you name off at least five things and at least thirty seconds pass. If you run out of time before you name them off, don't stop until you come up with five. If you come up with five things in less than thirty seconds, keep going until you run out of time. Can you do that?"

Weiss nodded quietly. "I… I can try. Thanks, Winter."

Winter pulled the girl into a hug. "I'm glad I could help you, Weiss. I should get back to Bastion, there's some things I need to take care of."

Weiss nodded as Winter left. _"Maybe that's what I should be writing about…"_

Winter took a deep breath as she walked toward the landing pad, a small smile on her face. She finally understood _what_ Aurelius was trying to make her understand. Winter's thoughts wandered to what she would say, or perhaps do, when she saw the Blue Rose again before a collection of memories entered her mind. She thought back and remembered his casual show of power during their first encounter, the ease with which he destroyed the Grimm Drake, and the amount of knowledge he held. Following that was the memory of how he was apparently created by the brother gods themselves to serve a purpose. Winter wouldn't lie and say that his strength and wisdom weren't appealing, but a single treacherous memory slipped into her mind.

" _I'm over 2600 years old, Jacques! You are all children to me!"_

Winter paused, a frown on her face as realization struck her. _"I've fallen in love with Aurelius, a being created by the gods themselves and ancient beyond measure. Someone that hasn't shown any interest in anyone."_ Winter let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand down her face. "Why do I feel like this is going to be a hopeless struggle?"

 **I know this chapter's a bit short, but I lost interest in writing for a day and I spent the second half of today's writing session rereading old chapters for this one, only to find out that** _ **many**_ **of them have errors in spelling, grammar, or word choice that disrupt the flow of the story. When I finish this part of Weiss' character arc (basically, up until 1-2 chapters after she makes the transition, at the minimum) I'll go back to look at them and correct the ones I can find, unless people would prefer I keep writing.**

 **Also, I just noticed I gave Winter one hell of a Senpai, didn't I…**


	46. Chapter 46: First Steps and the Decision

**To address the concerns one of the guest reviewers had regarding Weiss, she** _ **will not**_ **be "an OC with Weiss' name slapped on her." For one, the transition from "Weiss, the broken heiress" to "Weiss, the confident Huntress and singer" is not going to happen the instant her** _ **physical**_ **transformation occurs. I already stated that her hair's** _ **slow**_ **transition from pure white to black with white tips (and a few streaks added in) would happen in time with her own struggle to redefine herself, which means she's going through character development during this. Second, the most significant changes early on will be, as shown in this chapter, that she's trying to decide what parts of her she's willing and able to leave behind as she goes forward. By the time her character development, in this part, is finished, the most serious changes will be that she's become warmer and more open, while her motives for her actions have changed to reflect what she's learned about herself and others.**

 **The idea is that she's trying to recreate herself so that she's able to stand on her own without relying on her connection to others to define who she is. I don't intend for her to be too different personality-wise, except for her goals and motives to change. While she is willing to accept Aurelius' offer, she will** _ **not**_ **feel truly worthy of calling herself a Rose until she's happy with who she is.**

 **As the start of this chapter's going to show, there's a number of things Weiss does** _ **not**_ **like about herself as well.**

 **Anyways, let's move on to the chapter.**

 **Chapter 46: First Steps and the Decision**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence**

Weiss took a deep breath as she stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around her. She stopped in front of the mirror, getting ready to brush her hair when Winter's request from the previous day entered her mind. She let out a sigh and put her brush down, looking in her reflection in the eye. _"Alright Weiss, you can do this. It can't be that hard…"_ she thought, hesitating slightly. _"…Right?"_ "Okay, let's see… I'm a good singer according to Ruby… And she loves me…" Weiss glanced down, thinking as time ticked by. "I… I'm a decent fighter… Um…" She bit her lip as the twenty-five second mark went by. Her eyes glanced to her hair and she went to list off something else when a memory struck her.

" _Are you kidding? With hair like that at your age you_ have _to be a Schnee!"_

Weiss looked down, trembling slightly. _"I can't be proud of that…"_ Tears welled up as seconds ticked by and only negative thoughts crossed her mind. _"I'm too cold to make friends on my own, too weak to stand up for myself, too flat-chested and plain for anyone to care for my looks, and I have this stupid sca-"_ Weiss' thoughts stopped as Ruby's words to her rang out.

" _I always liked your scar Weiss. It made you look wiser, braver, and even more beautiful to me."_

Weiss took a shuddering breath as her own explanation of what her scar meant to her as her hand ran along it. "I said I believed all of this would be worth it… Can I honestly say that when I just give up without a fight? And can I really say I deserve Ruby when I can't even hold onto the things she says about me?" Weiss let out a frustrated sigh before someone knocked on the door.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Ruby said meekly. "You've been in there for a while…"

Weiss glanced at the door. "I… I don't know any more, Ruby. I just… Winter wanted me to try to come up with at least five things I liked about myself and I can only think of _three_ …" Weiss let out a sigh as she looked down. "No matter how I look at it, I'm still tied down by my past…"

Ruby let out a sigh. "Weiss? Can you come closer please? I want to make sure you hear this." Weiss blinked before she walked over, sitting on the ground and resting her head against the door.

"Alright, Ruby. What did you want to say?" Weiss asked.

"I… I think you need to step back and try to look at things from an outside perspective, okay? What exactly is bothering you first off?"

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh. "I just… I've always been defined by the fact I was a Schnee. Whenever I managed to excel at something, everyone said it was because I was a Schnee. When I didn't do as well as I should have, they told me that, as a Schnee, I should do better. Whenever people first saw me, they said that with my looks I _had_ to be a Schnee, and when I was introduced to them…"

"They always immediately said they knew you as the heiress to the SDC," Ruby finished. "And because of all that, you couldn't feel like your accomplishments were your own."

"No, I couldn't… and now I'm forced to sit here knowing that everyone I help, anything I do to improve the Schnee family name… it'll all be improving _Jacques'_ name and Whitley's. It just feels like I can never do anything without it being tied to the Schnee family name and that I'm always pushed to fix everything my father and Whitley do… How did you deal with the stress, Ruby? How did you handle everyone's expectations of you?" Weiss asked meekly.

"Hmm? Oh, I didn't really think about it. For me, it was never about living up to the Rose family legacy. That's not what it is for _any_ of us. My family believes that neither the sins nor the virtues of the parent are the responsibility of the child to endure or uphold. Not every Rose decided to stay with our family, but the Rose family traits rarely last more than two or three generations outside it before their children can pass as normal people." Weiss blinked in surprise at hearing this before Ruby continued. "The members of the Rose family that stayed on our path didn't do so out of an ancestral obligation or because they had to uphold our family name."

"Then why would they?" Weiss asked.

"Because they _wanted_ to," Ruby said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Like me, most Roses either grew up watching their parents do great acts of heroism or hearing about their previous deeds. Many were driven to follow in their parents' footsteps simply because they looked up to them, wanted to be like them. We didn't care what anyone _thought_ of us, only that our actions would make the people were inspired by proud of us." Ruby took a deep breath. "Which is what I think you need to do as well, Weiss. I know the idea hurts, but like you said, the Schnee family name doesn't belong to the Schnee _family_ anymore."

Weiss looked down as she stood up. "It's not my burden to bear?" she asked meekly, trembling slightly.

"Not if you don't want it to be Weiss. You don't have to abandon your past completely either. You still have Winter, after all, and there's things Jacques can't take away from you. Things that make you who you are and that nobody else can claim to have. Just look at what about your past you're proud of, people that inspire you and that you care about, the things Jacques can _never_ take away from you." Ruby smiled to herself. "And I think that's what Aurelius wants you to understand. You can _choose_ your destiny now."

Ruby let out a squeak as the door flew open and Weiss launched herself at the other girl, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Thank you, Ruby… I think that's exactly what I needed to hear."

Ruby nervously wrapped her arms around the girl, smiling meekly. "U-um, I'm glad I could help, Weiss… Not that I mind you hugging me when you're only wearing a towel, but don't you think you should get dressed?" Weiss blinked before her face turned as red as her girlfriend's cloak.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Weiss squeaked before running back into the bathroom. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm down. _"Good job, Weiss. Why do you have to glomp your adorable, sexy girlfriend no matter what you're doing the moment she says something that's even slightly helpful?"_ Weiss blushed a bit at her choice of words, but she couldn't deny that she'd thought of taking things to the next level in the last two days. _"I know she said she wanted to make me her mate, but even she seemed to think it was too soon…"_ Weiss glanced at the door for a moment. _"At least, she didn't think I was ready when she said that to Yang and Blake… But am I ready for that? To be bound with her forever?"_ Weiss glanced at her reflection in the mirror, a thought crossing her mind as she gave a small smile. _"No… Not yet. If she let go now I'd be her mate, sure… But if I'm going to expect us to take that step, it needs to be both ways. I need to be able to claim_ her _as my mate, too."_

 **Bastion, Citadel Tower, with Weiss**

Weiss let out a sigh as she walked through the crowd, watching a child look around wildly in wonder as the former heiress passed by with a small smile. She turned her focus to the corridor ahead of her before she saw a head of white hair. Weiss blinked in surprise before calling out. "Winter?" The other woman turned around, equally surprised before the younger sister spoke up at the sight of her shoulder-length hair. "I've never seen you with your hair down… Are you trying to see if looking more relaxed will get Aurelius' attention?"

Winter sputtered briefly before glaring at her sister. "I would appreciate it if you would keep my… _interest_ in him secret." Weiss nodded before she started moving down the hallway, Winter next to her. "So, I assume you intend to speak to Aurelius," Winter stated, causing Weiss to nod.

"I needed to ask him a few questions and give my decision. After that, I'm going to go to Tri-Peaks Records to give them what they need to record the music for my song."

Winter glanced at her younger sister with a smile. "So, what did you choose to write about?"

Weiss smiled. "I decided to write about everything that led to this situation and make it my own response to Jacques. Perhaps I'll even see if I can invite him to listen to my performance so I can give a proper dedication."

Winter nodded as she tapped the console on the lift. The two talked quietly as the lift rose through the Tower. "Have you been sleeping well?" Winter asked suddenly, causing Weiss to jump slightly.

"Yes, actually. I think having Ruby nearby is helping my nightmares more than I expected, although…" Weiss looked down with a subtle blush.

Winter raised an eyebrow at this, a slight smile on her face. "Having problems with another type of dream, are we?" Weiss blushed a bright red.

"Shut up! It's not my fault. I heard Ruby talking to Yang and Blake about… something," Weiss said meekly.

"I see. And what could they have possibly spoken about that gives you dreams such as those?" Winter asked with a smile.

Winter's smile faltered slightly as Weiss grinned back. "Well, let's just say you should do a bit of research on the faunus before you get too far along your plan to get with Aurelius." The older sister blinked as the lift came to a rest, following Weiss off.

"Do you honestly intend to keep me in the dark about this?" Winter asked in frustration.

Weiss grinned back at her sister and went to knock on the door when they heard a girl scream on the other side. The two went wide-eyed before Weiss pushed the door open, hand going to Myrtenaster. The duo stopped when they saw Roman Torchwick knelt next to Neo as she sat on the ground, cradling her throat. "What the hell, Blue? You said it'd hurt a bit, not that she'd scream out like she was burning!"

Aurelius ran a hand through his hair, a drained look on his face. "I'm sorry, I don't know how _everyone_ will react to this," he said with a sigh. "I mean... The fact that she can even scream means it worked, right?" Roman looked at him in dismay as the Blue Rose knelt down next to the girl. "Neo, can you say something please?"

Neo rubbed her throat meekly. "W-water…" Torchwick smiled slightly, handing the girl a water bottle. She took a gulp, letting out a sigh before looking at Roman. "Hi…"

"Hey, how do you feel kiddo?" he asked, patting her head.

"It's… sore… but other than that… I'm fine," Neo said before her eyes lit up. "Dad, you said we'd get something to eat after he fixed my voice. Can we get ice cream? Pleeeeease?"

Roman smiled. "Sure… C'mon, let's go see if there's any ice cream around here."

Neo smiled and threw her arms in the air. "Yay!" she said, voice still weak as she grabbed Roman's hand, pulling him out of the office.

Aurelius hummed before glancing at the girls, doing a double take at Winter's hair. "Ah, I see you're actually learning how to relax. I'm impressed," he said with a smile before she scoffed, looking away with a blush. He glanced at Weiss as he sat down, leaning forward in his chair. "Ah, Weiss. How can I help you?"

Weiss took a deep breath. "About the offer from earlier…" Aurelius clasped his hands on the desk, giving the girl his full attention. "Will it hurt? Or at least, how much will it hurt?"

Aurelius let out a sigh. "Unfortunately. And how much it hurts depends on the rate of the transformation. A longer shift will cause less pain than a shorter transformation."

Weiss nodded. "And do I have control over _how_ I change once it starts?"

"To an extent. It all depends on your own subconscious more than your conscious mind," Aurelius said with a hum.

"And do I need you to be there for it to work? Is there a way I could trigger the transformation on my own?"

"Normally no, but with your Glyphs… It's possible to activate the Dust used to allow the transformation to occur whenever you want. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're careful, however."

Weiss nodded and took a deep breath. "So how does this work, then?" she asked before Aurelius leaned back in his chair, ear twitching slightly.

"Would the two of you like something to drink? The preparations will take some time." The two sisters nodded before Aurelius went to make some tea.

Weiss glanced at her sister, watching her gaze follow Aurelius before sighing. _"Just a few days… Then I can finally show Ruby how I feel…"_

 **I'm going to end this chapter here for now. I'm sorry it took so long and I hope everyone enjoyed it**


	47. Chapter 47: New Beginnings

**I'd like to apologize for sounding annoyed, but good** _ **god**_ **, I never knew people would see Weiss' hair changing as some kind of character death when I said her personality would be intact and it's honestly starting to get more than a little frustrating. As I said in the last chapter, Weiss is trying to distance herself from the Schnee family name and her hair is too easily identified with that. Near the end she's going to decide to add a bit more white back in (the tips would be white anyways) to show she's accepted parts of her past.**

 **I'm just thinking to some of the stuff I've talked about with a few people in messages and I'm starting to wonder how much space I have to give other characters development now or add weird quirks. I mean, there were a few things I had planned with Bumblebee, mostly Yang discovering unintended uses for her new arm's various features, or the possibility for what would happen if strict, perfectionist Winter ironically found freedom (from both her own high standards and choice) in having no say in anything that happens in the bedroom. On the milder side of things, if this is anything to go by anything related to Willow (Weiss' mom) would probably not go over well either and I sure as hell don't know how people are going to take my plans for Mistral…**

 **I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but the fact that I made a decision and then had to spend two chapters defending it against people that say nothing except that I should leave her hair the way it is as if the only thing worth mentioning about the chapter is me saying "Weiss' hair is going to change" is starting to get grating and already starting to disrupt my flow, which is to write things as they come to me.**

 **As I said, I'm sorry if this upsets anyone, but at this point any of the points in the second paragraph (mainly Yang's entertaining misuse of her arm for some "fun" and Winter potentially loving being dominated) can be commented on if you want, either in a review or by sending me a message.**

 **For everyone wondering, Loki** _ **will**_ **be making an appearance in this chapter, but he's obviously not going to be the only one trolling Jacques.**

 **As said before, this chapter is going to have the canon song "This Life is Mine" as the centerpiece of it.**

 **Chapter 47: New Beginnings**

 **SDC Airship, near Bastion**

Jacques let out a frustrated sigh as he straightened his tie, listening to the woman he had on speaker. "Jacques, we agreed that you would ensure your daughter was no longer a variable in this situation. Why have you allowed her to remain in Vale?" the woman said.

"It's not like I had a choice!" Jacques growled out. "I didn't expect two full teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses, even in training, to be there, let alone Summer's return or Aurelius being there! On top of that, I didn't expect her to refuse and I certainly didn't expect her to have feelings for that mutt in red! _Or_ Aurelius to offer to turn her into another flea-bitten, cloaked _freak!_ "

"You never said your daughter had developed any sort of bond to a Rose, Jacques, let alone that she might become one herself. This is important information that could drastically affect our plans." Jacques glared at the Scroll sitting on the table next to him.

"Do you honestly think I don't know that, Salem? The only reason I'm even going to this animal-run hellhole is because Weiss said she was willing to give up the filthy mutt for the Schnee fortune," he said smugly.

"I'm afraid that's not good enough, Jacques," Salem said, causing the man to glance at the Scroll. "We can't allow _any_ Rose to be so closely connected to someone with a Frost-elemental semblance, let alone any Rose _having_ such a semblance. If Weiss becomes a Rose, she's immune to the threat of Burn Dust and Burn-elemental semblances on a Rose, while also greatly reducing the risk to Ruby and other Roses. Once you take her back to Atlas, she _will_ eventually attempt to escape, or the Rose family will attempt a rescue."

"What are you suggesting, Salem?" Jacques asked, tapping his armrest.

"I'm not _suggesting_ anything. I am _telling_ you that Weiss is now too dangerous to keep around in her current state. Once you have her and have left Vale and Bastion, you must either have her eliminated… or brought to me so we can either hold her until Ruby is captured or dead, or break her and turn her into an instrument to destroy everything she cares for."

Jacques tapped his fingertips on the armrest before he answered. "Honestly, I don't think I want this… _animal lover_ in my family anyways. I was already considering having her just disappear… Speaking of the faunus, I don't approve of working with the White Fang, even if they don't know it," Jacques said with disgust.

"Jacques, relax. Remember our deal. I showed you how to poison Nicholas and make it look like toxic Dust exposure in exchange for your trust and cooperation. You're so close to your true dream of ruling Atlas, and so long as you continue to uphold your end of our bargain, I can promise you that by the end of this, every faunus in the world will be either dead or enslaved to you," Salem said calmly, causing Jacques to smile.

"Very well. I'll continue with this game of yours, but I better not regret it," he said before the line disconnected. Jacques let out a sigh as the airship came to a stop, quickly disembarking with the crew. After a moment, a figure slipped out of the shadows with a giggle.

"Oh, Jacques, did you _really_ think you could set foot on Bastion without _me_ saying hello? Oh, I can't _wait_ to see the look on your face when you find out what's really going to happen!" Loki said cheerfully before he slipped into Jacques' airship. After a moment, the ship's engines started up before blinking out of existence into one of the Prefect's illusions.

 **Bastion Concert Hall**

Aurelius let out a sigh as he sat down, glancing over the crowd with a smile. _"I will admit that this is an entertaining way for you to make your decision known, Weiss…"_ Someone sat down next to Aurelius, causing the Blue Rose to hum. "Ah, Winter, I didn't expect to see you up here," he said, not looking away from the stage. "I thought you'd be somewhere near the stage where you could give Weiss support."

Winter blinked in surprise before turning away. "She has enough encouragement as it is I think. Besides, if you're correct about what my father will do, this will be the most entertaining seat in the building."

Aurelius nodded before glancing at the woman with a smile. "Ah, so you've chosen to leave your hair down again. Perhaps you should do so more often, it makes you seem approachable."

Winter blinked in surprise. _"I-is he saying he likes when I leave my hair down?"_ Winter looked away, a light blush on her cheeks. "As if you know anything about being approachable…"

Aurelius raised an eyebrow and went to speak up before a hand landed on his shoulder, causing him to frown. "Ah, of course the mutt would pick the best seat in the house for this," Jacques sneered.

"Do. Not. Touch. The. Cloak." Aurelius growled.

"I don't think you're in a position to make _any_ requests of me right now. Weiss invited me here, which means I've _won_ ," Jacques said, leaning in. "How does it feel to know that red-cloaked bitch will never know what true love is?"

Winter expected Aurelius to explode, but was surprised when he let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't think you could call Ruby a bitch, and if you could, then I'd say she and Weiss know more about true, honest love than you ever could." Jacques glared and went to speak before Aurelius continued. "Now, remove your hand from my cloak before I remove it from your arm." Jacques let out a growl before letting go, taking a seat next to Aurelius.

"I want to see your face when she begs me to accept her back into my family," Jacques snarled.

"Ah, but it's not your family, is it?" Aurelius said calmly before the announcer spoke up. The Blue Rose leaned forward, ear twitching slightly as Weiss stepped onto the stage. The former heiress was wearing her white dress and her hair was in its normal ponytail. The girl subtly rubbed her shoulder where a concentration of Dust had been injected to serve as the focus of her transformation.

Weiss let out a sigh as she glanced around, the muted applause from the audience hurting slightly until her eyes landed on Ruby sitting front and center. The wolf smiled warmly at her and gave her a quick thumbs up. Weiss quickly returned the smile before taking a breath. "I would like to dedicate this first song… to my father, Jacques Schnee." A murmur went through the crowd as Weiss glanced up, seeing Jacques sitting next to Aurelius with a smug smile. The music started slowly as Weiss closed her eyes. _"Alright Weiss, you can do this…"_

"Mirror… Can you hear me? Do I reach you? Are you even listening? Can I get through? There's a part of me that's desperate for changes, tired of being treated like a pawn. But there's a part of me that stares back, from inside the mirror, part of me that's scared I might be wrong." Weiss reached up, gently running a hand along her scar. "That I can't be strong…" Aurelius glanced at Jacques' confused face with a grin while Weiss went through the vocalizations. "I've been afraid, never standing on my own. I let you be the keeper of my pride. Believed you when you told me I was nothing on my own…"

Weiss looked at Jacques as she sang the next part. "Listen when I say! I swear it here today! I will not surrender, this life! Is! _Mine!_ " Jacques glared down at the girl as the music picked up. "Amazing how you conquered me, chained me in servility, and made me see the world the way you told me to, But I was young and didn't have a way to know the truth. Born to live your legacy, existing just to fill your needs. A casualty of this so-called _family_ that you have turned into a travesty."

Aurelius glanced over at Jacques, watching a vein in his neck bulge before he pulled out his Scroll and took a picture. "Ah, there's the face I was looking for," he said calmly as Jacques sputtered angrily. Aurelius hummed before turning to look at Winter. "Do you hear that? That's the wonderful sound of a self-centered idiot trying to speak as everything he's done comes back to haunt him." Winter looked at him in surprise before a smile made its way onto her face. "I can just imagine tomorrow's headlines: "Jacques Schnee: Concerned Father or Tyrannical Bigot?" It's going to be a _glorious_ PR disaster." Winter had to resist the urge to laugh at the absolutely _thrilled_ look on Aurelius' face and Jacques' trembling, enraged visage behind him. "Now then, I think you might want to watch this next part, Jacques. You might learn something about the daughter you claim to love so much…"

Weiss continued on with the song. _"Come on Weiss, here it comes…"_ "But I don't intend to suffer any longer. Here's where your dominion falls apart. I'm shattering the mirror, that kept me split in pieces, that stood between my mind and my heart!" Weiss took a deep breath and created a Glyph under her, triggering the Dust inside her and creating a glow. "This is where _I'll_ start!" A gasp ran through the crowd as the light dimmed, shocked by the sight of two slowly growing fox ears on her head as a tail started to slide out from behind her. Weiss winced at the subtle pain and continued along. "I'm not your pet! Not another thing you own! I was not born guilty of your crimes! Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore! I won't be possessed, burdened by your royal test! I will not surrender, this life! Is! _Mine!_ "

The music suddenly shifted as Weiss picked up the tempo. "Shame that it took so long to rescue me, from the guilt you used to tie me to your family tree. I guess your training failed, you're not in charge, I'm free!" Weiss threw her arms out happily, finding the ever-reddening face of Jacques satisfying. "Your patriarchal prison won't hold me! Now this conversation's fin'ly over! Mirror, mirror, now we're done! I've pulled myself together now! My mind and heart are one! Finally one!"

Aurelius let out a quiet laugh as Weiss approached the end of the song. "Now do you understand, Jacques? You might be a man of immense wealth and political influence, but you're still just a man. Even the ones you belittle as being just _children_ have more maturity than you. Next to the power of a young heart in love, your threats are hollow, and your wealth is worthless." Aurelius grinned. "Then again, I suppose you never learned that money can't buy true happiness." Winter let out a quiet laugh as Jacques' glared hatefully at the other man. "Now then, do us all a favor, would you? Get the hell out of my city and go play with your shiny coins back home before your head explodes and covers us in blood."

Jacques stood up with a snarl. "Listen here, you filthy mutt. I will not stand for this, do you hear me? I _will_ make each and every one of you pay, and when I'm done, I'll have this entire city dismantled and sold for scrap!"

Aurelius laughed. "Ah, Jacques, your threats mean even _less_ to me. Why don't you just quit while you're behind? After all, every second you're here is one second your PR department isn't explaining this "mess" away."

Jacques stood up, getting ready to stop out when Weiss called out. "I don't care what you say about me, _Jacques!_ I know that what I feel for Ruby is real! I loved her before the Battle of Beacon and she loves me! I don't care if you call me insane or delusional, because I know I'm sane!" she called out, her new tail shifting behind her. Jacques growled before he stormed out, Winter laughing quietly.

"I never expected that to be this funny," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. She froze up at Aurelius' mischievous smile before she looked away with a blush. _"So, this is how it is now? Just because I'm aware of how I feel about him, every look he sends my way does this to me?"_

Aurelius put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly. "I'm glad I could entertain you, but I think we should congratulate Weiss on her new beginning, don't you?" Winter nodded quickly as they stood up, heading down to speak to the new fox faunus as the crowd cheered.

Wiess smiled brightly as she watched Jacques storm off. _"I'm glad everyone else enjoyed it…"_ She blinked as she felt her tail twitch, causing her to look behind her at it. _"This… is going to take a bit to get used to…"_ She took a deep breath and went to start her next song.

 **Bastion Docking Area**

Jacques glanced around in annoyance, glaring at his airship crew. "Why the hell are you standing around? Where the hell is my ship?!"

The captain spun around, looking at the man nervously. "Uh, w-we don't know, sir. When we came back, it was just gone."

Jacques let out a growl and walked over to a nearby Prefect, grabbing its shoulder. "What kind of security is this? I had a very expensive airship here and it's gone! Are you all completely-" Jacques paused as the Prefect turned around. The man let out a frustrated groan. "Oh, it's _you_. Of course you'd be the one watching this area…"

Loki scoffed. "So now it's my fault you and your employees can't remember where you parked that gaudy, ugly-ass piece of junk you call a ship? Maybe you should pay attention to where the hell you parked…" Loki leaned forward, talking slowly. "I'm sure remembering where the shiny metal bird dropped you off is too much work for that brain of yours." Jacques let out a growl before Loki stepped back, a cheerful tone in his voice. "Although, I think you should know I've been ordered to make sure you're not in Bastion in an hour's time. If you are, I get to put you and your men on the first airship I see and drop you off in Vale so someone can retrieve you." He let out giggle. "I have this nice cargo ship in mind for it. Good luck!" Loki gave a sarcastic salute before walking a short distance away, ignoring Jacques' roar.

 **And this chapter is done. By popular demand, Jacques gets trolled to hell and back. This chapter also gives an idea of exactly** _ **how**_ **Jacques became president of the SDC.**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	48. Chapter 48: Mates

**I'm glad people enjoyed last chapter. Just to give a heads up, this chapter** _ **will**_ **be the story's first lemon and most of it will be focused on that.** _ **Hopefully**_ **this is the only warning I need to put since I'm not certain if a warning is required for before each lemon. If it is, please let me know.**

 **Bill Gopher- The thing is, Salem wants the Rose family destroyed, so she's not really a fan of the idea of capturing one of them alive, leaving them somewhere that they can be rescued,** _ **and**_ **torturing them without any real goal.** _ **If**_ **one of them is taken alive, there's a good chance there won't be anything left of them mentally as they're slowly turned into a tool to kill the other.**

 **Chapter 48: Mates**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence**

"Ugh, why did I think this was a good idea?!" Weiss growled out, taking a break from her frustration as she looked in the mirror. The first thing she noticed was her eyes. Instead of the normal light blue, she found herself gazing into pools of silver with a few specks of blue scattered within. The second thing she noticed was the black at the tips of her hair, which Aurelius informed her would eventually creep up to become her new dominant hair color as she followed the Rose hair theme. A twitch from the top of her head caused her to glance up, watching her new fox ears as she tried to make them move. _"So I guess either I can't move them when I want or it takes practice…"_ Her eyes went down to her chest with a slight blush. Much to her surprise, her breasts had grown during the transformation earlier that night to match Ruby's. Normally Weiss might be upset, but she'd caught the wolf giving her new assets subtle looks and couldn't help but be happy.

None of these were the cause of her frustrations, however, but a subtle twitch behind her drew her attention back to it. "Stupid tail…" she muttered. She knew that Ruby had to slip her tail through a hole on her pants or skirts and figured it would be easy to deal with, if still slightly embarrassing if she needed to ask for help. What she hadn't put much thought in, however, was the fact that she would have to do the same for her underwear. Now she was stuck in an awkward situation where, if she needed help, she couldn't even say she was in her underwear. _"Although… I was going to see if she wanted to be my mate, but this is going to be awkward…"_

She jumped when someone knocked on the door. "Weiss? Are you okay in there?" Ruby asked meekly. "You've been in there for a while… Is something wrong?"

Weiss blushed. "Nothing! Everything's fine!" she said quickly, getting a sigh from the other side of the door.

"Weiss… What's wrong?" Ruby said, causing Weiss' ears to drop slightly.

" _Oh god, she's going to think I'm completely hopeless now…"_ Weiss took a deep breath. "I might… be having a _little_ trouble… Getting dressed with my tail," she said, spitting out the last part in one breath.

Ruby blushed on the other side of the door. "W-what's the problem exactly?"

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh. " _Everything_ is wrong Ruby! I can't figure out how you get your tail through any of the holes and I can't even…" Weiss stopped herself from rambling, but Ruby quickly understood.

"U-um… What _have_ you been able to get on?" the wolf asked meekly.

Weiss looked down in frustration. "Just my bra, but that's not really affected by this…" The fox took a deep breath and decided to swallow what was left of her pride. "Ruby? Could you… help me, please?" She heard Ruby sputter. "Ruby… I need help. I've got my panties covering me mostly, I just can't get the tail through."

Ruby let out a sigh. "A-alright… Do you trust me?" she asked before she heard the door unlock.

Weiss opened it meekly and pulled the other girl in, doing her best to hold her panties up. "Y-yes…" she muttered, blushing a bright red. "So, what do I-"

"Weiss, I need you to turn around, so I don't see… you know…" Ruby said with a blush, causing Weiss to go wide-eyed.

Weiss nodded meekly and turned around, letting out a squeak as Ruby went to pull her panties down. "Ruby! What are you-"

"Your first mistake is thinking you can put your tail through the hole when you already have them up all the way… You need to slip your tail through first, _then_ pull them up," Ruby said, causing the fox to look behind her and see the other girl attempting to slide her tail through with her eyes closed.

"Oh… Okay…" Weiss said meekly. _"Oh god, if she opens her eyes she's going to see my ass… Although, I know she likes it already, so maybe I shouldn't worry. I mean, I was thinking of trying to see if she'd become my mate in a few days, so maa-"_ Weiss felt something brush against the base of her tail as Ruby was finishing up, causing her to let out a moan. The two girls froze up, turning a bright red. _"…Fuck it, I'm not waiting one more day,"_ Weiss thought as she felt her animal side start to stir.

"Oh gods, Weiss, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Ruby started before the fox spun around and pinned her to the wall, lips pressed against the Red Rose's. Ruby's eyes widened before she moaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. Weiss smiled slightly as her hands went to the buttons on Ruby's pajama top, slipping the first few free while her girlfriend's hand drifted down her back. Before Ruby could get too far, she felt a hand on her stomach, causing her to jump. "Weiss! What are you doing?" she squeaked out.

Weiss blushed and looked at Ruby nervously. "Ruby… I just want to show you how much you mean to me…" she muttered as her hands trailed along her girlfriend's skin.

Ruby shivered, trying to suppress the quiet moan as Weiss' hand brushed against her still-covered breast. "Weiss, what's gotten into you? You never act like-" Ruby's eyes widened as she realized what was going on before she pushed her girlfriend away, holding her by the shoulders. "Weiss, listen to me, there's something you need to know about being a faunus, something that might be making you do-"

"I know, Ruby," Weiss said, causing the girl to pause. "I heard you telling Blake and Yang about it, about how you wanted to make me your mate…" Weiss took a deep breath, stepping towards her girlfriend and putting a hand on her cheek. "Ever since the night you woke up, I've been dealing with… dreams. I wanted to show you just how I felt about you, but I didn't want to take things too far too quickly. When I heard you tell Blake and Yang, when you explained what it would mean… I'm still not sure if I deserve you right now, Ruby, but I want to give everything I am to you. I became a faunus _because_ I wanted to be able to say you were my mate as much as you'd be able to say I was yours." The pair blushed before Weiss finished. "I don't just want this, Ruby. I _need_ this… Please…"

Ruby bit her lip before pulling Weiss towards her, wrapping her arms around the other girl and giving her a searing kiss. _"Well, there goes my virginity I guess,"_ she thought. Weiss moaned happily as her arms went around Ruby's neck. The pair slowly made their way to the bedroom before Ruby took her shirt off. Weiss tugged the girl's pajama pants down, leaving them both in their underwear. Ruby broke away and looked at Weiss meekly. "Are you sure-" she started before Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Yes, dolt, I'm sure I want this. Come on!" Weiss said, quickly taking off her bra and panties with a blush, causing Ruby to do the same. Weiss bit her lip as she looked over her girlfriend's body, turning a red as the cloak Ruby normally wore at the knowledge the other girl was admiring her body as well. _"This is it… No turning back now,"_ she thought as she took a deep breath, pushing Ruby down onto the mattress and straddling her with a nervous smile. "So… I… have no idea what to do, I'm sorry."

Ruby smiled meekly. "There's nothing to apologize for, it's obviously the first time for both of us." Weiss nodded before she leaned down, giving Ruby a kiss as her hands ghosted over the girl's breasts. Ruby let out a moan as Weiss' tongue slid into her mouth. The Red Rose's hands immediately went to her girlfriend's ass, giving it a squeeze.

Weiss let out a squeal as she pushed herself closer to Ruby, breaking away from the kiss to look the girl in the eye. She smiled devilishly as she snaked a hand between the wolf's legs and stroking her bare pussy, eliciting a moan. Weiss started trailing kisses down the girl's neck, planting one on her scar before returning to the base of her neck and gently nibbling the skin as Ruby started panting. Weiss grinned before moving down the other girl's body, sucking on the other girl's nipple.

Ruby let out a loud moan, closing her eyes. "Oh gods, Weiss!" she squealed, emboldening the fox. Weiss slipped a finger into Ruby's pussy, causing her to moan out more and squirm under her.

Weiss sat up slightly, looking at Ruby's face to see her eyes clouded with desire. _"Mine…"_ Weiss thought happily as she slid another finger into her newly-claimed mate and started pistoning them inside her. Ruby let out a loud moan and started writhing under the fox. Weiss grinned and returned to sucking the wolf's breast, running her tongue along her nipple as Ruby screamed out.

"Oh _gods_ , Weiss! I-I can't-" Ruby let out one final scream before she came, covering the fox's hand. Weiss pulled her hand away and looked at it curiously before lifting it to her face. Ruby went wide-eyed as the fox gave her finger an inquisitive lick. Weiss hummed before she licked her hand clean. _"Oh gods, did she really just…"_ Ruby went red and took a deep breath before she flipped on top of Weiss, smiling. "Now it's _your_ turn, Weiss…"

"What are you going to do-oooh!" Weiss moaned out as Ruby leaned over her and gave her pussy a shy lick. Each moan made the wolf bolder as she continued. After a while, Ruby slipped her tongue into Weiss' folds, causing her to squeal.

" _Mine!"_ Ruby thought, tail wagging as she continued eating her new mate out. The wolf hummed before sliding two fingers into Weiss, mimicking the other girl's earlier actions as she went to suck on the girl's clit. Weiss's hands wove into the other girl's hair as she screamed out.

"Ruby! I-I'm going to- Oh god!" Weiss screamed as she coated the other girl's face before dropping to the bed, panting heavily. Ruby giggled and licked her mate clean before dropping onto the bed next to her. "Fuck… That was amazing Ruby…" Weiss muttered dreamily.

Ruby smiled and nuzzled against the fox. "You were great too, Weiss… Thank you for doing this."

Weiss nodded, a feeling of contentment falling over her as she let out a sigh. "So, we're mates now?"

"Yep!" Ruby said happily. "Now and forever." Weiss grinned and the two stared up at the ceiling for a moment before Ruby spoke up. "I'll show you how to get dressed tomorrow, okay?"

"I appreciate that," Weiss said as she looked at the girl laying next to her. "I think this will help get rid of the awkwardness of the situation. I do have a question, however. What happened in the bathroom when you touched the base of my tail?"

Ruby yawned. "Well, the nerves in the base of a faunus' tail tie into the same nerve as the ones connected to… well, you know…" Ruby said, gesturing down at her crotch.

Weiss hummed at the thought. "I see. I think I should point out that if you touch it again tomorrow, there will be _issues_."

Ruby grinned. "Well, if it does happen again, I'm pretty sure all I need to do is eat you out again and you'd forgive me. By the way, you taste amazing," Ruby said with a cheeky smile as Weiss blushed lightly.

"Dolt, I really hope that's not the _only_ time we'll do anything like this…"

Ruby gave her a quick peck. "It won't be, I promise…" She meekly played with her fingers. "If you want, we could maybe… do this more often?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Oh god, yes. This would be an amazing way to end the day…" Weiss crawled on top of Ruby and rested her head on the girl's breasts with a sigh.

Ruby looked down at her with a smile. "Hey Weiss?" she asked, getting a hum in response. "Could I, maybe…"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Dolt, you're my mate and even if you weren't, I think you wouldn't need to ask to put your hands wherever you want."

Ruby smiled meekly and wrapped her arms around Weiss, one hand on her back and the other resting on her ass, causing the girl to sigh. "Thanks, Weiss… I love you."

Weiss yawned. "I love you too, Ruby. Let's get some sleep, okay?" Ruby nodded and the two snuggled together until they fell asleep.

 **And this chapter's done. Let me know what you think in a review. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	49. Chapter 49: Rearmed and Weiss' Cloak

**Before we start this chapter I'd like to respond to the most recent guest review for Chapter 47 and the third guest review from Chapter 48.**

 **Chapter 47's guest- I wasn't frustrated because I don't like having to defend my choices. I was frustrated because you've** _ **ignored**_ **every explanation I've given for 3-4 chapters now and insist on ignoring the fact that, as I said, it was decided by a** _ **narrow**_ **majority before I started writing the chapter with that decision and there was more support for it by the time I posted the chapter. Not only that, but one of the people against that change asked me to try to keep some white in her hair and I tried to give a compromise that they'd be at least comfortable with and you still attack that. You've commented multiple times on this and provided no constructive criticism with your "but thou must because it's canon" attitude and refusal to accept any justification or acknowledge any argument in favor of the change, while insisting on only commenting as a guest and denying me the ability to actually discuss this with you. In fact, your insistence that Weiss is just a "generic faunus OC" shows how little you care about the fact I've** _ **explicitly**_ **stated that any changes to her personality are going to be through character development, so it seems more like you want this fic written a very specific way and to hell with creativity.**

 **I'm not sure if you're still reading, but consider this my** _ **final**_ **response to this nonsense.**

 **Chapter 48's third guest review- I apologize, I've seen the term "lemon" used for similar scenes in many other stories on this site and looking the term up made it seem like it was the correct term. If this isn't the case and someone's willing to explain the exact differences to me, I'll be glad to change it.**

 **Chapter 49: Rearmed and Weiss' Cloak**

 **Xiao Long Residence, with Yang and Blake**

"This is amazing!" Yang said as she pushed the door open with a smile, causing the cat faunus to roll her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "I can't wait until it's done!"

"Yang, Aurelius said he was almost done with the modifications. Just relax," Blake said causing the blonde to grin sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just…" Yang took a deep breath. "I want to be able to _help_ again instead of sitting here watching everyone do most of the crap for me, you know? I appreciate it, but I feel like I'm just a burden right now."

Blake wrapped her arms around the girl's neck, giving her a quick kiss. "Yang, you're not a burden… You've never been a burden. You're just having a hard time right now." She went to pull away before Yang leaned forward, returning the kiss.

"Thanks, Blake. You're amazing, you know that?" the blonde said with a warm smile before she started dragging the girl towards the stairs. "C'mon, let's congratulate Weiss on telling Jacques where to stuff it, then we can make breakfast!"

Blake rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's antics. _"At least she's starting to act like her old self a bit…"_ As they climbed the stairs, they had no idea what to expect.

 **With Ruby and Weiss, moments earlier**

Weiss let out a quiet yawn as she woke up, rubbing her eyes slightly before looking up. She sighed happily as she looked at the sight of the girl sleeping under her. She let out a gasp as she felt something brush along her waist. _"Did she wrap her tail around me?"_ Weiss turned to look as best she could without waking her mate, smiling at the fur covered appendage curled around her waist. The fox leaned forward slightly, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. Ruby sighed before her eyes fluttered open, looking at the other girl with a gentle smile. "Morning," Weiss said quietly.

"Hey…" Ruby said with a yawn. "How did you sleep?"

Weiss let out a content sigh. "Better than I have in a long time…" she muttered, tail swaying in the air as she smiled at her girlfriend and mate. "I was wondering… Could we, maybe…"

"Do that again?" Ruby finished with a smile of her own. Weiss nodded and leaned forward to give the girl another kiss when the door flew open, causing the two to let out a surprised squeal.

"Hellloooo…" Yang shouted, cheerfully at first until she took a look at the bed. Her mind struggled to process the fact that she was looking at her sister and their teammate laying in bed, completely naked, with their arms wrapped around each other. "Uhhh…"

Blake spun the blonde around, glancing away from the bed with a massive blush. "We just wanted to let you know we're cooking breakfast!" Blake squeaked out in embarrassment before pulling Yang out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

The fox and wolf faunus remained where they were, blushes going down their necks before Weiss whined. "Oh god, can this day get any more embarrassing?!" she whimpered before burying her face in Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby took a deep breath. "C'mon, let's get dressed before they think we're doing something…" Weiss nodded meekly before standing up, causing Ruby to bite her lip as she briefly admired the other girl's body. The wolf quickly hopped up. "Here, let me help you get dressed, okay?" Weiss took a deep breath and nodded as she put on her bra and pajama top. Ruby quickly helped Weiss into her panties and pajama pants, giving her a few tips on how to slip her tail into the hole before getting dressed as well. The two took a deep breath before heading downstairs.

The four girls ate in awkward silence, with Ruby and Yang making an effort not to look at each other. Weiss glanced between them nervously before Blake spoke up. "Look… I know this wasn't something Yang and I were meant to see… Could we just pretend this didn't happen?"

Weiss went to respond when Yang exploded. "How can you expect me to forget _that_? Oh god, I'm going to have that burned into my head for the rest of my life!" she said, running her hand through her hair.

Weiss looked down with a blush. "At least nobody saw _your_ naked ass… You're not the one who has to live with that…" Weiss muttered, causing the rest of the girls to blush.

Ruby took a deep breath. "Look… The way I see it, we have a few solutions to this. The first is that Weiss and I can lock the door before we go to bed from now on and the two of you promise to knock first before trying to barge in…" Ruby started before she looked down meekly. "Or… Weiss and I could look into moving into the Rose Quarter in Bastion." The other three girls looked at her in surprise.

"Ruby, are you sure that's a good idea?" Blake asked, getting a meek nod in return.

"Weiss is going to need to start practicing with her new abilities soon and I need to get back to my own training. It'd be easier if we were there in case we needed help," the wolf said quietly before looking at Weiss. "I mean, we don't have to live in the same place if you don't want…"

Weiss put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, smiling at her. "Ruby, it's fine… Besides…" The fox blushed before continuing. "I… kinda like waking up to see you in the morning." Ruby smiled before Yang squealed.

"Aw, that on its own is so cuuute!" Weiss glared at the blonde with a blush before she frowned. "Wouldn't that mean we wouldn't be able to visit you guys as easily though?"

Ruby frowned at the hurt and slightly scared look on Yang's face. _"She really can't take anything that might look like abandonment right now…"_ "I mean, we could see if you and Blake could live somewhere in Bastion. I'm not sure what the requirements for living in the Rose Quarter are except having ties with the Rose family, so we could end up neighbors," Ruby said before Blake spoke up.

"It would give us better access to training areas and we'd be able to spend time with the rest of our classmates…" the cat faunus said quietly. Weiss nodded before she noticed a metallic glint from Yang's arm.

"Yang, is that an attachment point for a prosthetic?" she asked, drawing Ruby's attention to the blonde's arm.

Yang let out a squeal. "Yep! Apparently, Ironwood decided that he'd have a new arm made for me and Aurelius decided to help. It should be ready today! They had me get this attached after the concert," Yang started before looking at Weiss with a grin. "That reminds me, I really liked that song. If all classical music had an awesome guitar riff in the middle like that I'd probably be able to stay awake through them."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure if I should accept that as a compliment, but thank you. Is that where you were yesterday?"

Blake nodded. "We also thought it'd be a good idea to get you some new clothes considering none of the ones you had are meant for anyone with a tail."

Weiss nodded thankfully before Ruby smiled. "So, I guess we have a few reasons to head into Bastion today," the wolf said, drawing everyone's attention. "Weiss never got her cloak before we left." The fox's eyes widened. "That means we're going to have to get you one, right?"

Yang let out a sigh. "Seriously? I get that you guys like your cloaks, I just don't understand _why_ you have to act like it's the most important thing in the world."

Weiss went to scold the blonde before Ruby spoke up. "What? We're not allowed to look cool while we kick ass? It's a _tradition_ , Yang," the wolf said, causing Weiss to blink in surprise.

"Eh… I guess I can't say anything about that… Even if it does seem kinda silly," Yang muttered. "How about we just eat and then we can get going?" The group muttered in agreement before they started eating.

 **Bastion, Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office**

Team RWBY blinked as the door opened and sounds of barking laughter rang out, causing them to look around the room. Winter was standing to one side, rubbing her forehead as Summer tried desperately to calm a younger Qrow down. "Oh god, I thought you were lying! He actually _does_ look like he was going to crap himself! Damn, I can't believe I missed that…" Qrow said, slowly calming down.

"Mom? Dad?" Ruby asked, head tilted to the side. "What are you doing here?" Qrow and Summer turned in surpise.

"Oh, hey petal. Blue here just needed to be brought up to speed on what's been going on around the world," Qrow said, only for Aurelius to scoff.

"Stop lying Qrow. You're here because, in the _week_ Summer's been back, I've received _forty_ noise complaints and twelve reports of public indecency regarding the two of you!" the Blue Rose snapped, causing the older couple to flinch before returning to reading through papers on his desk.

"Oh god, not Qrow and Summer too!" Yang whined before covering her mouth, looking meekly at Ruby.

"Wait, what do you mean by that? Yang, did you go and-" Qrow started before he saw Ruby with a blush on her face. Ruby swallowed nervously when Qrow narrowed her eyes. "Petal… what happened?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened at all!" she started meekly. Qrow continued to glare at her causing her to take a step back meekly. "Um… Well…"

Weiss took a deep breath. "I-it was me," she said, flinching as the man's eyes locked on her. "After the concert, I was having a hard time getting changed with my tail…" Weiss let the appendage sway behind her to emphasize it. "And Ruby offered to help, but there was an… _incident_ and one thing led to another-"

"What happened?" Qrow asked calmly, surprising the two girls.

Ruby looked down meekly. "We kinda, sorta… might have become mates?" she said quickly, face as red as her cloak while Qrow blinked at them in surprise.

"So, my little girl's growing up, huh?" Qrow muttered before nodding, a grin on his face as he ruffled Ruby's hair. "I hope she took good care of you, petal."

"Daaad!" Ruby whined, a blush on her face before Qrow looked at Weiss.

"Normally I think I'd be pretty pissed at this, but considering your heartfelt declaration last night and the fact you'd decided to turn into a faunus, I'd say this wasn't just some spur-of-the-moment thing, was it?" Weiss blushed and shook her head meekly. Qrow walked up to her and put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" she squeaked out before Qrow grinned down at her.

"Just don't let her get hurt or anything, alright?" Qrow asked getting a meek nod from the fox before Summer squealed.

"Oh, the two of you are going to have the most adorable children!" she said with a grin, causing the young couple to stare at her with a blush.

"Um… Mom… Weiss and I can't… you know…" Ruby started.

"Dust is capable of wonderous things, young wolf," Aurelius said, not looking up from his paperwork. Ruby looked at him, her face going from confusion to realization before stopping on a mortified look.

"Oh gods, why did you have to put that in my head!" Ruby cried out, curling into a ball on the floor. _"Someone please kill me! I can't take any more of this!"_

Weiss had a scandalized look on her face as she processed the implications before it was replaced with a thoughtful look, a blush on her cheeks. _"Us starting a family? What would that look like?"_ Images of small wolf pups and fox kits running around filled her mind and she had to bite her lip to resist the urge to squeal at the thought of Ruby telling _their_ children a bedtime story and tucking them in for bed.

"Granted, the two of you would only be able to have daughters," Aurelius said, finally looking up. "Dust _does_ have limits, after all…"

Yang looked at them in surprise before her eyes lit up. "Oh! How does it work exactly? I'm curious now!" she asked, causing Blake to stare at her wide-eyed.

" _Wait, we haven't even done anything and she's already thinking about having a family?"_ Blake thought with a blush.

Aurelius looked at her hesitantly before speaking up. "Ah, Yang. I was going to contact you to let you know I finished working on your new arm," he said, noting how the girl's eyes shone. _"Well, at least I won't have to explain that to her…"_

"Really?! Where is it? C'mon, I wanna try it out!" Yang said with a bright grin. Aurelius let out a sigh.

"Give me a moment," he muttered before getting up, walking into a nearby room before returning with a grey prosthetic arm. Yang's eyes lit up. She smiled as Blake helped attach the prosthetic, giving a few experimental movements.

"So… What can it do?" she asked, glancing up at the Blue Rose.

"I didn't get the full schematics from Ironwood, so I can only go by what I saw while making modifications and by what he put in by my request. The casing and internals are all made of a durable, heat-resistant metal to allow it to survive the intense heat and immense force of your blows when you use your semblance. In case of emergencies, there's also a small firearm built into it. I noticed that, for some strange reason, the wrist joint doesn't have a limiter on rotation and it looks like whoever was designing it may have intended for there to be a minigun inside before that was scrapped." Yang tried it out, watching has her hand spun a full 360 degrees. "Once I got ahold of it, I added a number of Burn Materia Dust lattices to the design to power the servos, increase the force of your punches, recharge the arm's batteries, and power the Burn Dust crystal hidden in the palm." Yang hummed as a hatch opened up, grinning at the potential uses.

"Lastly, I felt that, considering how you lost your arm in the first place, you might need to adjust your fighting style and would like a way to get some revenge if you ever encounter Adam Taurus again," Aurelius stated, causing Yang to look at him in confusion. "There's a final Dust lattice built into a plate that can extend from the outside of your forearm. This Dust lattice is meant to create a thin blade of fire-" Yang grinned before clenching her fist, causing the panel to pop up and send a small jet of flame out past Aurelius' head, briefly igniting his cloak before he quickly put it out. "Which I would _appreciate_ if you didn't try out in my office!" he shouted, more than a little alarmed while Ruby, Summer, and Weiss stared wide-eyed at the two.

Yang let out a squeak and deactivated the blade, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "Sorry! I didn't know it'd be that long!" she said meekly.

Aurelius let out a sigh. "It's fine, you didn't mean any harm," he said, glancing at the damage. _"It's singed, but that's better than losing a large part of my cloak to a fire…"_ "Now then, Yang, Blake, Winter… Would the three of you mind waiting outside for the time being? The next part of this meeting is something that we'd prefer to keep private." Yang looked as though she would protest before Blake put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yang, I'm sure they'll tell us when we need to know, alright? Come on, how about we go take a walk through the parks?" Blake asked, getting a hesitant nod from the blonde before they quietly left.

Much to everyone's surprise, it was Winter that spoke up next. "Do you really expect me to walk out of here after recent events? I know there's something about your cloaks and the way everyone here responded to what happened earlier tells me it's more than just some sort of fashion sense," she said, crossing her arms.

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh, tapping his fingers against the desk. "There's nothing I can do to convince you otherwise, is there?" he asked, causing Winter to look at him in annoyance. After a moment, he sat back down in his chair. "Very well. Since you're so insistent on this, I'll tell you as long as you swear to never tell _anyone_ , including Ironwood."

Winter hesitated for a moment. _"Could I keep something as potentially serious as this secret from the general?"_ she thought. _"Then again… if I promise to keep it secret and tell someone, Aurelius most certainly would never forgive me if it's truly as significant as he makes it sound…"_ Winter took a deep breath before answering. "Very well… I promise that I won't tell anyone about what is said in this room."

Aurelius hummed as he placed his hand over the burned part of his cloak. "As you said, for a Rose, our cloaks are more than just a fashion sense. When a member of our family unlocks the Rose Storm, a hidden aspect causes part of their soul to bind itself to their cloak," he started, causing Winter to pale. "This results in our cloaks gaining a powerful Aura of their own, more powerful than the Aura protecting our bodies, and causes the cloak to serve as the focus of our transformative and Wind aspects of our semblance. Without our cloaks, we can't use the transformative aspect and our manipulation of Wind is more difficult."

Winter nodded slowly before Aurelius continued. "Not only that, but our cloaks therefore are a grave weakness. Any damage to a Rose's cloak damages our soul as well. If a Rose's cloak is destroyed, it can lead to anything from us being temporarily stunned until the fragments of our souls return to immediate death if a large portion of our soul is within it. This makes fire, specifically Burn-attribute semblances and Burn Dust, grave threats to our existence."

Winter swallowed slightly. "So even you…"

Aurelius nodded, removing his hand from his cloak to show it fully mended. "I'm no exception to this. I'm just as vulnerable to fire as Ruby or Summer."

Winter nodded before Weiss spoke up. "And what about me?" she asked nervously.

Aurelius tapped his fingers on the desk. "Your secondary semblance makes you an interesting case. Burn and Frost elemental semblances confer an immunity to temperatures that remains with the soul when bound to a cloak, making it far more difficult to singe, let alone burn, the cloak. This means that you are now one of the few examples of a Rose being resistant to one of our greatest weaknesses."

Weiss nodded, wide-eyed. "Oh… Okay… Wait, does that mean I can use my semblance to put out the cloak of another Rose if it's ignited?"

Aurelius smiled. "It does, actually. This makes your partnership with Ruby all the more powerful, but it also makes you into a serious threat to Salem and anyone she's taught how to use this weakness to their advantage. You and Ruby must always be vigilant when on assignments," he said before opening a drawer in his desk. "Now then, since we've covered that, it's time for you to take the last official step towards becoming a Rose." Aurelius placed a simple grey robe in the desk in front of Weiss, causing her to look at it in confusion.

"I don't think I understand why it has to be grey," she muttered, causing Ruby to put an arm around her shoulder.

"Grey's a common color that you won't find in any rose, so it helps make sure we know if you've managed to bind your soul properly or not," Ruby said, causing Weiss to look at it nervously. "C'mon, I'll help you with it, okay? Just put your hand on it wherever you want, focus on the cloak, and think about the things you truly care about."

Weiss nodded and put a hand on the grey fabric in front of her, thinking about her past and everything she thought mattered to her before turning to what was important to her. After a few minutes, she started to become frustrated before she felt a sharp pull. Weiss let out a gasp as she felt her strength drain suddenly and went to pull away, only to find herself frozen in place. A reassuring hand landed on her shoulder and she took a deep breath as a ripple went through the cloak from her hand, turning the dull grey fabric the color of freshly fallen snow. Once this was complete, Weiss felt her strength return and her mind clear as if a fog had rested on it her entire life. Colors brightened and everything felt a bit warmer. The newly-made White Rose shuddered at the feeling, removing her hand from _her_ cloak and frowning as the effect weakened slightly.

"Fitting, considering that you're now Weiss _Rose_ , isn't it?" Aurelius hummed. "Perhaps in more ways than one in the future considering your current relationship with Ruby."

Weiss went to speak before Ruby grabbed the fabric off the table, causing Weiss to shiver as she realized she could almost _feel_ the contact as if Ruby was putting a hand on her shoulder. "Here, I want to see what you look like in it!" Ruby said before helping her mate into her new cloak, taking a step back. The wolf faunus looked at the girl, admiring how the cloak went with her standard white combat outfit. Ruby had pulled the girl's hood up, leaving her long hair to spill out the front over her chest.

"I'm not sure I like having the hood up…" Weiss muttered.

"Come on, Weiss, you look awesome!" Ruby said, tail wagging happily behind her, causing the White Rose to smile.

"If you say so… How about we get something to eat?" Weiss said, causing Ruby to grin.

"Sure, just one more thing," Ruby said before turning to Aurelius. "Would it be possible to have a few residences set aside in the Rose Quarter?"

The Blue Rose smiled. "If you mean one for you and Weiss and a second for Blake and Yang, I can arrange it. Go on, enjoy your date, alright?" The duo nodded before Ruby dragged her girlfriend and mate out of the office, leaving the adults in silence.

 **I apologize for this one taking longer than normal to write. I tend to have issues with mild depression this time of year and lose interest in things more easily, but I really wanted to finish this chapter since I started it before that hit me.**

 **As you can see, Yang is completely unaware of the Rose family's most dangerous weakness, which makes things more than a little interesting for everyone involved. Her arm also got quite a bit of an upgrade, all the better to kick Adam's ass the next time they run into each other.**

 **On a more entertaining note, I realized that, canonically, there's something like a six month timeskip between the end of Volume 3 and the start of Volume 4 (is this the case? Correct me if I'm wrong) and that means that White Rose, Bumblebee, and Arkos will all have been together for six months before we get to the Volume 4 equivalent for this story. This leads to…** _ **interesting**_ **implications for all three couples, especially with Ruby and Weiss just one step below being married already. Just a little food for thought…**

 **I was talking to TheSetupMage in PMs and they brought up something I didn't think about that I wanted to share: "If you wanted, you could be the author, forever associated with the comment! "The one who we thought wasn't going to be that weird, but when he started with the asphyxiation, electrocution and temperature stuff? Gotta give credit where it's due, we got played like violins." What do you think, eh? You either just vomited/cringed a little, gave a shrug of indifference, or did some variation of laughter." I'm sharing this because it took me a realize there** _ **was**_ **in fact a time when the weirdest stuff I'd written about was Yang and Weiss being able to manipulate the temperature around them, Ruby nearly suffocating from using her semblance, and Nora being able to vaporize a Deathstalker with her semblance. Dear god, it's kind of hard to consider that "weird" now that we're dealing with flying cities, near immortals, and all the shit Dust can do…**

 **Lastly, Bookah, one of the people I talk to the most when working on this story, started writing their own about a month ago that I've agreed to help beta read in my spare time. If you're interested in some hijinks involving Team CFVY in a more canon post-volume 3 setting, feel free to check out their story, Winter Hunt.**

 **That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	50. Chapter 50: Aurelius: The Eternal Vigil

**I just realized this is the fiftieth chapter I've written for this story and today (October 29) marks two months since my first upload. I figure that I should do something a bit special for it, so let's commemorate this by looking back into the past.**

 **Abel- I never really put much thought into it. I mean, considering the fact that a Rose's cloak is a physical manifestation of their soul, it's possible that if they get excited enough their tail would simply drift through it. I'll leave it up to each individual to decide how they think a Rose can wag their tail when they have their cloak. As for Yang being a faunus, I think I'm going to leave that be for now considering how much of a headache the** _ **last**_ **major change I made was.**

 **Chapter 50: Aurelius' Lament: The Eternal Vigil**

 **Bastion, Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office**

Aurelius let out a sigh as he sat back in his chair, watching Summer snuggle against Qrow as the pair left. "Thank the gods they're gone, I was afraid they'd just go at it on my desk or something…" he muttered, causing Winter to blink in surprise.

"I find it hard to believe they would actually engage in such an activity in a place like this," she said, causing Aurelius to hand her a folder. She looked through it quickly before turning a bright red. "I _hope_ that lift was promptly cleaned?" she asked in concern.

"I'd hope so, it's the only one that leads up here…" Aurelius muttered quietly before glancing over at the only other occupant in the room. "Is there something you needed, Winter?"

Winter bit her lip, still trying to get used to hearing the Blue Rose call her by name. She let out a sigh before stepping in front of the desk. "I was curious about a few things…" she said quietly. _"If I phrase it carefully, perhaps I could learn more about him?"_

Aurelius hummed for a moment. "What did you want to know?" he asked, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Winter sat down in the chair across from him, taking a breath. "I'm curious about why the Rose family is the only one in Remnant that has capabilities such as yours and why there are no other individuals such as yourself," she said, watching as Aurelius paused.

"That's a topic that will take quite a bit of time…" Aurelius muttered before he stood up. Winter watched as he quickly made two cups of tea, setting one down in front of her before sitting back down. He took a sip before he started. "There _was_ a time when I wasn't the only individual with capabilities such as mine, as well as a time when the silver eyes weren't unique to myself, before my family came to be, back in the almost two centuries that my cloak was white instead of blue." He gestured at a painting of a small cottage hanging on the wall. "I remember the exact moment the brother gods made me in the area that painting shows. It was fifty years before Point Refuge was founded, half a century before the existence of civilization. There were sixteen of us at the time… Sixteen men and women, beings created by the two gods to safeguard humanity and civilization on Remnant from destruction. My brothers and sisters… Each of them was given a specific threat to defend against: mindless jealously; insatiable greed; unyielding pride; unending gluttony that would render the world uninhabitable; hatred of the unfamiliar and new… The list went on, and each of us was given abilities to help us with our tasks, the only common one being our silver eyes and the powers provided, a symbol of our Eternal Vigil. Unlike my descendants, we were to maintain our Vigil indefinitely until we were no longer needed."

"Were they human?" Winter asked cautiously.

"To a certain extent. Like me, they couldn't die from old age and each had two semblances, so it might be more accurate to say we were a slightly different species or race of beings. While I preferred to call us the Stalwart, my brothers and sisters quickly took to calling themselves the "Doom-driven" for a reason I never understood," Aurelius said before Winter interrupted.

"You said that each of _them_ was given a specific threat to safeguard against… What about you?" the white-haired woman asked, taking a sip from her tea.

"I wasn't given any specific thing to defend against. Instead, I was given the far more nebulous duty of protecting against "any threat to sapient life" that could appear. At first, I believed this to mean against the Grimm, but in the coming years I learned that there were _many_ possible things that fit under that classification. Once we were given our purpose and our duties, the gods left, and my brothers and sisters departed to begin their Vigils. I spent the next five years wandering the plains of Draconys, learning what I could before befriending the members of a small tribe. I helped them grow and prosper for a year before a pack of Grimm attacked, killing a small boy before I could stop them. It was during that time that I created the first Dust crystal." Aurelius glanced down at the desk for a moment.

"After that, I realized that I wouldn't be able to properly protect them where they were. Unfortunately, unlike elsewhere in Remnant, the Grimm of Draconys preferred to remain hidden in the mountains and forests, making the locations that would be easiest to defend the most dangerous to settle. As time went on, I eventually led them to a small island in the Leviathan's Gulf and helped them start to establish a small village there. This was twenty years after I was created, and it was only a month after this that I learned what my brothers and sisters were up to during this time."

Winter swallowed a mouthful of tea as Aurelius' gaze turned grim. "Within only a few years of us all parting ways, each of them had turned to various acts of depravity and were slowly twisting, corrupting, and killing the people of Remnant. By the time I'd heard of this, there were only seven of us left, with the other six having established themselves as warlords, using humanity as pawns and playthings."

Winter put her cup down, clasping her hands in her lap. "What… happened to them?" she asked, flinching at the dark look Aurelius gave her.

"They became threats to the existence of sapient life… something I'd become _very_ skilled at eliminating," he said coldly, causing a chill to go down Winter's spine. "One of them attacked the village that would eventually become Port Refuge and I was forced to put them down after a long fight. After that, I spent a decade tracking and hunting each of them down." Aurelius let out a sigh before taking another sip of his tea. "Once that was done, I helped build up the small village to become Remnant's first true civilization. Since then, I've continued the Eternal Vigil alone, aside from the aid from my family in their own Vigils."

Winter bit her lip before she spoke up. "How could you kill them so easily? As you said, they were like your brothers and sisters," she said, flinching at the glare she received.

"If I didn't kill them, it's possible humanity would not have survived long enough for civilization to prosper. That's what you must remember, Winter," he said, leaning forward. "I must ensure that _every_ threat to sapient life, human or faunus, is dealt with through diplomacy or force. It doesn't matter who they are, what their goals are, how close they are to me, or if I _want_ to carry out my duty." He let out a sigh before he slumped back in his chair. "That's all that's left of my brothers and sisters. All that's left of my… _kind_ , I suppose. One man, the illusion of choice, and a burden that was meant to be carried by sixteen people…"

Winter looked down quietly. "I apologize for bringing back such difficult memories…"

Aurelius glanced at her. "It's not your fault. You wanted to learn, but you had no way of knowing how painful the topic was."

Winter nodded subtly as she stood up. "Thank you for telling me about this… If you'd like, I'd be happy to leave you in peace for today," she said, getting a subtle nod from the Blue Rose before she turned around, her steps no longer measured as she walked out the door. She was getting ready to head to the lift when Adrienne walked up.

"Wow Winter, I've never seen you so disturbed, what happened?" the Orange Rose asked, following behind the white-haired woman.

Winter let out a sigh before tucking her hands behind her back. "I just finished having an… enlightening, if concerning, conversation with Aurelius," she said, glancing at the other woman out of the corner of her eye.

"What about?" Adrienne asked, tilting her head to the side.

Winter looked down the central pit of the tower. "I asked about his origins," she muttered, noticing the look of concern in the Orange Rose's expression.

"What exactly did he tell you?" Winter hesitated before she quickly and quietly relayed what she had learned to the other woman, frowning when she sighed. "Nox, nothing new then…"

"What do you mean nothing new? Are you saying there's more to the story?" Winter asked, glaring at the other girl.

Adrienne scratched the back of her head nervously. "Yeah… I don't think anyone's ever heard the full story. I'm pretty sure I've heard everything Auri could say about it, but there always seems like there's something missing to it. Considering what _I've_ heard, it's possible he doesn't know the full story himself."

Winter stopped to look at the orange-cloaked fox. "And what have you heard?"

Adrienne bit her lip, looking around before she gestured to Winter, moving down a corridor away from the lift. "Have you ever stopped to notice anything strange about the members of the War Council?" she asked, causing Winter to pause.

"Not quite. I'm aware that they were each designed to combat Grimm in a different way, but-" Winter started before the normally cheerful woman spun to pin her with a gaze.

"No, stop to _think_ about their abilities. Name each one of them off."

Winter hesitated before she started going down the list. "Janus has the ability to create rifts in space that he can use to travel or as weapons. Odin is able to throw his spear at any target and be guaranteed to hit… Athena is able to control electric currents… Vulcan create immense amounts of heat and ignite his body… Artemis' arrows are completely unaffected by wind currents… Loki has shapeshifting and can exploit the fear-" Winter paused, eyes wide. _"Why would a being meant to fight Grimm need to sow terror in the hearts of man and faunus?"_

Adrienne nodded. "You see now, don't you?" Winter nodded slowly before the Orange Rose continued. "It isn't until you get to Loki, the friendly, if malicious, prankster that put your father on a garbage barge to be dropped off in the ruined region of Vale, that you realize there's something _dark_ about them. The fact is, each of the Prefects and the Templar that spend the most time around Auri were designed specifically to counter his abilities, on top of having a specific type of Animus Dust serving as their core so they can't be permanently destroyed. The first one to be created, Athena, is able to exploit the large static charge the Tempest-enhanced Rose Storm creates to fry him and has a Shock crystal at her core. The second one built, Odin, is able to predict the exact angle he needs to throw his spear at to ensure it works with the Rose Storm to impale Auri and has a Frost crystal as his core. Vulcan was meant to march into the Rose Storm and ignite himself, turning it into an inferno to cook Auri and incinerating his cloak, and obviously has a Burn core. Artemis uses her Wind core to ensure her arrows are able to pass through the Rose Storm without any serious interference. Janus' rifts, created with his Gravity core, make him thing in existence to have a projectile completely unaffected by the Rose Storm and allow him to create rifts to redirect the wind currents to fight somewhat decently in hand to hand combat within the Rose Storm."

Adrienne took a deep breath. "Loki, the last one designed, has a Water core that allows him to shapeshift, but also means he can partially transform into a liquid and maintain cohesion enough to not be scattered by the wind, allowing him to fight Auri while the petals and debris simply go right through him, the way a very small number of Roses are able to fight in his Storm. Not only that, but his ability to sow fear is meant to directly counter one use of Auri's secondary that allows him to partially manipulate the minds of others. He doesn't use it, but if he did, Loki's ability to look into a person's mind and project their darkest fears would disable them long enough for him to fight Auri… Each and every one of them is designed to incapacitate or _kill_ him."

Winter paled. "Why would anyone do that exactly? What _reason_ is there?"

Adrienne sighed. "Auri left out a few major parts from the story. The first, and most important, is that he was the first one the gods made and he was meant to be the _only_ one they created… but they found him… _lacking_ ," Adrienne said, spitting out the last word as if it was poison.

"Lacking how?" Winter asked nervously before Adrienne clenched her fists.

"He's not sure why himself, but shortly after they created him, the brother gods declared him defective, _imperfect_ , and decided to create a number of other beings. None of them were as strong as Auri was or is, so the brother gods, Thanatos and Helios, decided to keep him around. Beyond this, they rarely interacted with him between his creation and when he was finally told his purpose, _last_ of all sixteen. By then, I think he'd started to struggle with the concept that his very _existence_ displeased the brothers and decided to throw himself completely into his task, the thought of being without a purpose terrifying him, possibly even today." Adrienne took a breath as Winter looked at her in shock. After a pause, the Orange Rose continued.

"When the other fifteen went mad and started going against their purpose of protecting life and civilization, I think the fact that the more _perfect_ creations of the brothers so quickly went mad with power and corruption made him wonder if the same thing would happen to him one day, so he started teaching humanity and the faunus how to do what he could do with Dust in hopes that they might one day be able to destroy him if need be… which is even more important considering what the brothers told him." A haunted look passed over Adrienne. "Before they departed, Thanatos and Helios told Auri that he alone out of all sixteen was truly immortal and that, so long as any sapient beings continued to exist on Remnant and his task was incomplete, he could never be permanently killed." Winter paled as the wolf continued. "As the centuries wore on, he came to realize that his task could never be truly complete since, even if he killed every Grimm, he would still have to put an end to human conflicts, starvation, disease, and old age before he could say he did what was required…"

"I remember talking with him during that time, about twenty years before the War of Roses… Some days he'd visit my grave and we'd talk normally, but then the next day he'd show up and spend an hour ranting about how every death and every cut was a reminder of his constant failures, of the frailty of the human body, and how guilty he was that he couldn't stop any of it, that people were still dying even after all his efforts… Then, during the War of Roses, the Sundering happened," Adrienne said, causing Winter to shiver. She remembered Aurelius mentioning the shattering of the moon, but didn't think about it very much. "When he heard about this, it terrified him that two shards of his power were able to do so much damage when he himself couldn't do even a _fraction_ of that with all his strength. He started to question _why_ the gods would create a being to defend humanity and give it the power to potentially destroy all of Remnant. The last time I saw him, his cloak was in tatters and he had a completely nihilistic outlook on everything… He actually said he was going to destroy himself to end Salem's rampage…" Adrienne looked at the white-haired woman nervously. "His Eternal Vigil was never meant to be maintained by a single person, and now that he's learned he can't simply destroy himself to end it so long as anyone's still alive… What happens if he decides he can't live with it anymore?"

Winter shuddered, looking down. "Perhaps it would be best if he found another purpose for living…"

Adrienne let out a sigh. "If only it was that easy… It'd take a lot to convince him to do that and whatever became his new purpose would be the center of his attention at all times when he wasn't working on keeping everyone safe… It'd make things easier on us though, I think…"

Winter nodded quietly, trying to process what she'd learned.

 **And this chapter's done. I hope everyone enjoyed it.**

 **So yeah, Aurelius' existence has some** _ **very**_ **dark secrets and dangerous implications wrapped up in it. This is more or less what the summary of the story's talking about: Aurelius' return will help Remnant in the short term, but the more damage that's done the better off everyone would be if his legacy was forgotten.**

 **Also, on a lighter side, since people seem to like the idea of Aurelius and Winter having a ship name, I think I might go with "Arctic Wind" or something similar.**

 **Feel free to leave a review.**


	51. Chapter 51: Insecurities and Never Alone

**Before I start this chapter, I'd like to apologize for the delay. Some time during the night after I posted Chapter 50, a freak storm took out power for a large part of the state I live in and I spent two days without internet or a way to charge my laptop. We only got power back on November 1st, which is the earliest I could actually start working on Chapter 51.**

 **Abel- I try to respond to questions people have if I can or any noteworthy reviews in PMs. If it's a guest review with a question or one that I feel people would benefit from hearing my response to, I'll include my response, or something similar, in the chapter. I will, however, let people decide if they prefer Windchill over Arctic Wind.**

 **NightingaleofRemnant- not** _ **quite**_ **. Remember, Aurelius is in this weird position where even he doesn't exactly know the full story, which is part of why it'd concern him.**

 **Please read the ending AN if you have time for the last review response since it has plot-relevant information.**

 **This chapter's going to contain a Bumblebee lemon. If you're not interested in that, skip down to the second scene.**

 **Chapter 51: Insecurities and Never Alone**

 **Patch, Xiao Long Residence, with Yang**

Yang let out a sigh as she woke up, smiling out the window. She turned over and opened her mouth to speak when she noticed that Blake wasn't in bed with her. She froze as she felt a panic seep into her. _"Just relax, Yang… She didn't leave you… She probably just went to get water or something…"_ Yang tried to calm down before she ran her hand through her hair, quickly jumping out of bed and attaching her prosthetic. _"I'll just go down to see what she's up to, that way I can calm down."_ She nodded to herself as she walked down the steps.

Yang found Blake in the kitchen, putting away a cup. The blonde bit her lip as she looked over her girlfriend in the black tank top and bicycle shorts that'd replaced her sleepwear from Beacon. The cat faunus let out a squeak as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. "Hey," Yang said quietly. Blake frowned as she felt the slight tremble in her girlfriend's arm and body.

"Yang, is something wrong?" Blake asked, turning around in the blonde's embrace as she looked down meekly. _"She isn't afraid I'd…"_

Blake's thoughts were interrupted when Yang spoke up. "Nothing's wrong, it's just… I missed having you next to me when I woke up is all…" Yang muttered meekly, but to Blake it was obvious what she meant. Yang woke up alone and was afraid that she was well and truly _alone_. The thought that Yang could be so terrified by her absence when she woke up worried the cat faunus. Blake took a deep breath before stepping back, looking at Yang.

"Yang… there's something I need to tell you…" Blake said, pulling the blonde back up the stairs to their bedroom. As soon as they were inside, Blake subtly locked the door, letting out a sigh. _"Alright Blake, you can do this… She deserves to know the truth, she needs to know you're serious about this… and you know you're ready for it."_ Blake put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "Yang… I'm sorry…"

The blonde's eyes widened as her mind immediately went through all the possibilities. _"I-is she breaking up with me? Did I do something wrong and she doesn't want to be around me anymore? Oh god, this can't be happening! Why can't I just have someone that loves me?"_ Tears started to spill from the blonde's eyes before Blake wiped them away, causing the blonde to look at her, sniffling slightly. "D-did I do something wrong?" she asked sadly.

"No… I'm the one who's done something wrong," Blake said, looking down. Yang blinked in confusion before the cat faunus continued. "After what Adam did to you… I told myself that it was _my_ fault that you lost your arm and I felt so guilty I just… I went to run." The blond went wide-eyed as the cat sagged against the wall. "From Vale, from our team, from you… I was being a coward and tried to run like I always do, but Adrienne stopped me and called me out on it. She reminded me that it wasn't my fault and he would have just tried to kill you anyways…" Blake looked up at Yang with tear-streaked eyes. "And that I was running away from the most important person in my life when she needed me the most. She walked me back to the bed and I sat there and _cried_. I cried because it looked like your career was ruined by this and I was too scared to realize I needed to be _here_ more than ever." Yang blinked in surprise.

Blake took a breath before she wrapped the other girl in a hug. "When you woke up and were just so scared and meek… I realized that if I left it might have destroyed you and I felt horrible for it… I know you love me and you're scared I'll leave you just like your mom did, but I want you to understand that I will _not_ leave you. I will _never_ leave you so long as I have a choice and I'm willing to prove it!" Blake said with a blush as she stepped toward the blonde.

"Blake? What are you-" Yang was cut off by Blake pressing her lips against the blonde's sliding her tongue into the girl's still-open mouth. Yang moaned into the kiss before she stepped back. "Blake… What's going on?" she asked in confusion.

The cat faunus took a deep breath. "Yang… if I let go… if you become my mate…" Yang blushed lightly as her eyes widened. "then I can _never_ end up with someone else. It wouldn't work both ways with you being human unless you truly wanted to stay with me, but I could never leave you unless you wanted me to…" Blake blushed as she went to tug her top of before Yang grabbed the hem.

"Are you sure about this, Blake?" Yang asked, getting a nervous nod from the cat faunus. "Then here… let me…" Yang meekly pulled her girlfriend's top off before unclasping her bra. Once the fabric fell to the floor, Blake quickly removed the blonde's top and bra before capturing her lips in a kiss. Yang let out a moan as she felt a hand brush over her breasts before pulling Blake towards the bed. By the time they reached the bed, their shorts and panties had joined the rest of their sleepwear on the floor. Blake moaned into the kiss as Yang pulled her down onto the bed, laying on top of her.

Blake pulled away meekly and bit her lip. "Hey, Yang?" the blonde hummed in response. "Could we take this gentle please?"

Yang blinked in confusion before nodding, a smile on her face. "Sure… I'll let you take the lead today, alright?" Blake looked at her gratefully and let out a squeak when she felt a hand grab her ass. She looked at the girl under her, who let out a sheepish giggle. "Sorry… I've just wanted to do that for a while…" she muttered meekly.

Blake smiled. "It's fine… Besides, I've always wanted to do this…" Yang let out a moan as the cat faunus took her nipple in her mouth, running her tongue around it before gently nibbling on it. Blake's other hand went to the girl's other breast, kneading it and rubbing the now hardened nipple.

"Oh god, Blake, I didn't know you liked them so much!" Yang squealed, gently running her hand through the girl's hair and scratching her ears, causing the cat to purr happily. After a while, she switched breasts, giving them both her full attention while her free hand went to disconnect Yang's arm. The blonde let out a squeak. "Blake! What are you-"

Blake put a finger to the blonde's lips, smiling meekly. "No prosthetic just this once, alright? I'll make it up to you next time, okay?" the cat asked, getting a pout from Yang as she placed the prosthetic gently on the nearby table.

"Fine… Just this once…" Yang muttered before letting out a gasp as Blake's hand made its way between her legs. Blake grinned before her mouth and other hand returned to the blonde's chest. Yang let out a moan and gave her girlfriend's ass a squeeze, causing her to gasp and press herself against the blonde. Blake purred as she slid two fingers into Yang, quickly pistoning them into the other girl as she moaned loudly.

Blake pulled her head away for a moment, causing Yang to let out a whine. "Are you enjoying this, Yang?" Blake asked with a smile. Yang nodded wordlessly before Blake nipped at her earlobe. The blonde let out a squeak and Blake looked down at her. The cat faunus had never seen her vulnerable in this way before and she had to admit the nervous look on the blonde's face as she squirmed under her was endearing. Blake smiled and nipped the blonde's neck, biting down gently as the girl moaned. Once that was done, she slowly worked her way down her soon-to-be mate's body, trailing kisses until her head was between the blonde's legs.

Yang went wide-eyed for a moment before Blake slipped her tongue into her, getting a loud moan in response. The cat faunus smiled as the blonde's hand went to her ears, purring happily as she pinched the girl's clit between your fingers. The blonde started panting heavily before she let out a scream, coating Blake's face. "Oh god…" Yang muttered between breaths. She looked down and blushed as Blake slowly licked her clean, never breaking eye contact. "Fuck, Blake, do you have to try to be sexy when you do _that_ too?" Yang whined with a blush. Blake grinned and continued what she was doing, not responding to the question. Once Blake was done and Yang regained her breath, the blonde quickly flipped the cat faunus over and climbed on top of her as best as she could. Once her head was over Blake's pussy and her own was above the cat faunus' face, Yang giggled. "How about we keep this goi-"

The two let out a squeak as someone pounded on the door. "Gods, are you two done in there?! The last thing I needed today was to hear my _sister_ moaning from whatever one of my friends was doing to her!" Ruby called out, voice slightly higher than normal. The Bumblebee duo turned scarlet as they realized they'd forgotten about the other occupants of the house.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Ruby!" Yang called out meekly. _"Damnit, I was going to thank Blake for that!"_ Yang let out a sigh and rolled off Blake, leaving the girl to let out a frustrated whine at her own lack of release. The blonde went to give her a quick peck on the cheek and an apologetic smile before leaning in to whisper in the cat's ear. "Don't worry, kitty. I'm make sure to make you scream for me next time," Yang said as seductively as she could.

Blake shivered slightly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my _mate_ , Yang," she purred into the blonde's ear, causing her to smile. "You'll never be alone again, alright?"

Yang grinned before giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips. "I love you," she said before getting up to attach her arm and get dressed.

Blake smiled at her as she stood up. "I love you too, Yang," she muttered as she collected her clothes.

 **Xiao Long Residence, Dining Room, with Team RWBY**

Yang looked down meekly as Weiss glared at her. "Stupid blondes and these stupid fox ears…" the White Rose muttered as she angrily stabbed at her breakfast.

Yang sighed. "Look, I said I was sorry, what more do you want from me?" Yang asked before Ruby spoke up.

"Look, let's just pretend this didn't happen. It's a lot easier for all of us if we do that…" Ruby looked around the table getting nods from each of the other three girls. "Besides, we need to start packing. Aurelius said he's set aside two residences in the Rose Quarter for us… Which means we won't have to have _this_ happen again, thank the gods!"

Yang grinned. "Nice! I just hope sound doesn't travel _too_ much…" She noticed Ruby looking at a piece of paper and raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at, Rubes?" The two Roses froze up, turning a bright red.

"U-uh, nothing! It's nothing!" Ruby said, moving to hide the paper before Yang snatched it up. "Hey! Give it back!"

Yang glanced over the paper and quickly realized it was a very _unique_ combination of a shopping list and to-do list. The blonde's eyes widened and her face got redder with each item. "What the hell is all this?!" Yang squeaked while mentally making a note of some of the more interesting ones. _"Hell, maybe Blake would try some of these?"_

Weiss snatched the note back, face as red as her girlfriend and mate's cloak. "Ask your pervert of an uncle! After we left the Tower yesterday he gave this to us and said to _have fun_! Now Ruby feels obligated to actually look into this stuff!"

Ruby whirled on the White Rose, face just as red. "Me?! You went through and _numbered_ which ones we were doing in which order!" she squeaked nervously, causing everyone to look at the fox faunus.

Weiss looked around the room nervously, playing with her cloak. "Um… can we please not talk about this?" she whined weakly. "How about we just get packed? We can deal with this nonsense later…" The other three girls quickly agreed, whether out of embarrassment, pity for the girl's situation, or eagerness to finally be able to get alone time and experiment was known only to them.

 **And this chapter's done. I'm so sorry it took so long to get it written and it ended up being so short.** _ **Hopefully,**_ **nothing like this will happen tomorrow so I can resume my normal schedule.**

 **It might not be obvious, but Ruby and Weiss are more or less going to be that young couple that's going to try everything they can. They won't like everything they try, but it will result in a bit of diversity in their lemons in the future.**

 **Ruby and Weiss also got some revenge on Yang for not knocking a few chapters back, but I'm sure Yang's going to find some fun ways to make it up to Blake…**

 **Rohan RookeWoode has brought up the point of the Aurelius/Winter pairing not yet being much of a thing and made a prediction of it happening within the next 3-7 chapters with a lemon within 12. As I** _ **think**_ **I said to them, part of my plan was to have Winter become a faunus (her becoming a Rose like Weiss might be an eventuality, but I sure as hell don't plan to poke that hornet's nest again so soon) to add to the lemon scene, so I'm stuck with an interesting pair of questions for everyone. Should I try to have Aurelius and Winter be a thing within the next 7 chapters? If so, should I make her become a faunus before the lemon?**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review.**


	52. Chapter 52: Moving, Interior Decorating

**Another chapter! Let's get started.**

 **Cap'n Beowulf and TheSetupMage- While I approve, this would potentially take away from the plan I already had. Sorry.**

 **Rohan- if I make Winter a Rose, which might happen, I already have a very specific cloak color in mind that will make things interesting…**

 **Ninja6345- Winter will be getting more time with Aurelius (I call him "Blue" sometimes, too, mostly to people I discuss the story with regularily) in the next few chapters, but it's important to remember that their relationship is actually a bit more complicated than it appears to be on the surface: Winter knows she's in love with Aurelius, but thinks he's so unapproachable that someone like her wouldn't have a chance. Meanwhile, Aurelius has been using questions designed to force her to come to that realization to encourage her to discover it, which is meant to heavily imply his** _ **own**_ **interest in her and the fact he's aware she has an interest in him. The issue is that the two of them are in a similar position to Ruby and Weiss prior to Weiss learning about Ruby's cloak: Winter, like Weiss, took a while to realize she loves Aurelius, but, like Ruby, doesn't think Aurelius would give her the time of day. Aurelius, meanwhile, has a growing interest in her but isn't aware she's discovered her own feelings for him. As a result, the two of them are more or less dancing around each other, Aurelius trying to help Winter learn something she already discovered and Winter trying to find a way to win the heart of someone who, honestly, already cares for her.**

 **This chapter's going to have a bit of Ruby and Weiss getting settled in, learning a bit more about Bastion's design, and potentially setting the stage for future events.**

 **Chapter 52: Moving, Interior Decorating, and Encouragement**

 **Bastion, Rose Quarter, with Ruby and Weiss**

Ruby let out a happy squeal as she pushed the door open. "Come on, Weiss! It's going to be great!" she said as she carried the first box of her things into the room. Weiss rolled her eyes as she followed behind, looking around the living room. While there was plenty of open space, the room was fairly barren with white walls, a cream-colored couch, and a coffee table. A bark came from the door as Zwei ran in, looking around.

Weiss frowned before she spoke up. "We're going to need to do some decorating, Ruby… This home is kind of bland…" she muttered as she put down the box she was carrying, only to squeak when Ruby appeared in front of her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Yeah, but it's _our_ home, right?" Ruby said with a grin, causing Weiss to smile as well before nuzzling her mate.

"True…" the White Rose muttered before glancing at the console on the wall. "Hey Ruby?" The wolf hummed. "What's the panel for?" Ruby stepped back to look.

"I don't know…" Ruby hummed before tapping something on it. "Wall color?" she tapped "red" and the walls shimmered, causing the two girls to step back as the walls turned pink before resting on a gentle, warm red. "Ooohh!" Ruby grinned before turning back to the panel. "What else can we do? Furniture, flooring, floor plan, temperature…" the two girls grinned at each other before Ruby pulled the console off the wall, walking through the room with Weiss. The two looked around while Weiss hummed. "You know, I'm probably going to miss the way the floor felt from living with Tai in Patch…"

Weiss looked at her with a smile. "We can make the living room based off that if you want." Ruby grinned before they got to work. Ruby quickly tapped and the floor was replaced with a hardwood flooring, causing Ruby to smile. "I suppose we can keep the red. I think we'd need the couch to be a black leather though…"

Ruby pushed a button before the couch shifted, looking up. "How about a fireplace? That'd be nice!" Weiss grinned and nodded, causing Ruby to tap on the console before a fireplace of dark granite formed across from the couch. Ruby hummed as they continued working through the room, another couch, a flat-screen TV, and a few chairs filling the room as the coffee table turned to a dark, rich wood. A few end tables and a book shelf in the same dark tone filled the room before the two nodded, satisfied.

They walked into the dining room before Weiss took the console from Ruby, grinning as she looked around. "I think we should do something a little… lighter in here, how about you?" Ruby nodded, smiling at her mate as the White Rose quickly went through making adjustments. The tan chairs and table were quickly replaced with dark wood and cream cushions. One wall gave way to a series of windows, looking out on the arboretum connected to the house to serve as a yard. A simple, dark molding lined the walls at the floor, ceiling, and corners of the walls with roses and snowflakes carved into them.

Ruby grinned at Weiss. "This looks nice. Nothing too fancy, but not plain enough to be boring either," the wolf said, causing Weiss to nod, a satisfied look on her face.

The kitchen went the way of the dining room, with the plain counters being replaced with a white marble, dark wooden cabinets, and dark appliances. Unlike the dining room, the kitchen had a modest tile floor. Ruby giggled before Weiss rolled her eyes. "What? I wanted something simple!"

Ruby smiled, wrapping her arms around the girl and giving her a peck on the cheek. "I wasn't laughing at that… I was just thinking about how amazing it is that you could be raised the way you were and still prefer a simpler style," the wolf said, missing the subtle smile from Weiss.

"Yeah, I guess it is…" she muttered before they continued on.

The next room they looked at was the bedroom. When they finished, it had warm, clay red walls. The bed had been converted into one with a frame made of oak with cream colored sheets and a comforter. The bedroom floor was covered in a light tan carpet. The wall facing their yard was replaced with a window, a set of curtains on a track resting in front of it. Ruby let out a giggle before she hopped onto the bed. "Gods, this place is amazing!"

Weiss hummed. "If all of the residences and other locations in Bastion are set up like this, I can see why it would take a full century to build…" the White Rose muttered, getting a nod from Ruby.

"I don't know much about the Materia lattices that would have been used to make this yet, but I know for a fact that if Aurelius was working on this by himself without any other Dust Sages, it could easily have taken him hundreds, maybe even thousands of years…" Ruby said, looking out the window. She started tapping the console, watching as day turned to night, clear skies were replaced by storm clouds, and rain replaced by snow before reversing everything in the small arboretum out back.

Weiss hummed, not paying any attention to Ruby's antics behind her. "I think we should try to get a few paintings from downstairs, maybe a full team portrait," she stated.

Ruby glanced up briefly before looking at the other settings. "Probably would be a good idea. I think I'd like to get a painting of my mom and dad if I could…" She paused at one setting that made her smile. _"Full soundproofing, huh? I could see using that for the bedroom…"_ She glanced back at her mate with a smile. "Maybe one of Winter too? It'd be nice, I think."

Weiss nodded, not noticing as Ruby hit another option on the control system, causing the ground in the arboretum to sink before filling with water. "It would be nice to have a bit of decorations around here." She heard a faint tap as the pond filled back up behind her, being replaced with a gentle hill. "I don't think this system can recreate paintings or portraits though…" A final tap caused her to whirl on the Red Rose. "Dolt! I'm trying to talk here! What are you doing?!"

Ruby stammered out meekly as Weiss looked at the screen, blinking at the last change made. "I-I just thought… maybe we could have a hot tub?" Ruby asked more than said. Weiss looked out the window to see a small hot tub situated by a stone patio just outside the door leading to the arboretum down below.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "You couldn't wait until later?" she said in frustration, causing Ruby to hop up and wrap her arms around the White Rose.

"I'm sorry! I just thought my beautiful angel would like the chance to relax on a cold fall or winter night…" Ruby said meekly, getting a deadpan look and a blush from Weiss.

" _Did she just call me her angel?"_ Weiss thought briefly. "Ruby, why would we need that? We can control the enviro-" Weiss paused as she quickly understood. "Oh… We could make every night like that, couldn't we?" She got a grin from her mate, causing her to roll her eyes. "You're such a dolt, you know that?"

Ruby grinned. "That's part of why you love me," she said, snuggling against the White Rose, getting a smile in return.

"You're not wrong… How about we make a few more adjustments, finish unpacking, and then check on Yang and Blake?" Ruby nodded and the two hopped up, going back to unpack before Ruby grabbed Weiss arm.

"Weiss… I know you're still struggling a bit with that thing Winter asked you to do, so if you want I can tape a few notes to the mirror so you can have something to help…" Weiss smiled meekly before giving her mate a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks Ruby, I'm glad I have your help…" she muttered before pulling the other girl out of the room.

 **Citadel, Bastion Lower Lattice Array, with Aurelius and Winter**

"So, what is our purpose down here?" Winter said, causing Aurelius to look at her in mild annoyance. All light in the massive chamber came from the Spire Crystal located behind them, taking up the center of the room, and the countless lines of Dust carved into the floor, ceiling, and walls like a massive circuit board.

"I am down here because the primary Materia Dust control matrices that direct power throughout Bastion need to be checked regularly to ensure everything is working properly. You decided to follow me for some reason," the Blue Rose muttered as he searched through folded panels attached to the walls, causing Winter to blush.

" _Great… first his every look makes me blush and now I'm following him around like some lost puppy…"_ she thought to herself. "I was curious to learn more about the Bastion. Perhaps with enough knowledge, it could be reproduced," she said, getting a laugh from Aurelius.

"This isn't as simple as the eighteen-month construction of Amity Colosseum, Winter," he said, gesturing towards a nearby wall covered in hundreds of barely-visible lines of Dust. "Beyond maintaining our defenses and keeping Bastion airborne, these lattices ensure that we maintain an atmosphere around the structure at any altitude, keep temperatures stable, and even make the interior of the city fluid, just like Loki. Every residence, arboretum, and place of business is set up so that parts of it can be changed, from the exact division of allocated floor space, materials everything's made out of, and contents of each room, to the exact nature of the walls, climate, and time of day for the arboretums."

Winter gaped at him for a moment before speaking up. "How is that possible?"

The Blue Rose hummed. "Through a complex series of lattices like these. When Bastion was built, every surface needed to have Materia Dust carved into it to ensure all required properties worked, with it being expanded on and updated as new uses for these lattices were discovered. Something the size of Amity Colosseum would take anywhere from five to ten years with a group of twenty Dust Sages to get every line, circuit, and junction carved… and there's currently only _three_ Dust Sages alive that have the level of skill required for such a feat. Each of us might be able to do the work of four or five in this regard, but that still means we'd have very little time to rest…"

Winter looked around the room. "What would happen if part of the lattice is damaged?"

"If given time, it would eventually repair itself, perhaps even reconfigure itself to become more durable or efficient as well. The issue is, the lattices tied to major systems can't be left to repair themselves if damaged."

"Wouldn't it expedite the process to include that function from the beginning of construction and use the methods required to control the lattice's flexibility to direct its expansion?" Winter asked, causing Aurelius to freeze up. _"Did I say something foolish?"_ she thought nervously.

"I mean… it's theoretically possible. That specific function wasn't discovered until Loki was created and we spent the next _decade_ incorporating the self-repairing and self-modifying functions into the lattices and matrixes already carved into the entire structure. The thought of using the function that many people are using to reshape parts of Bastion to their needs as a method of creating a new lattice escaped me." He looked at Winter with a genuine smile. "You've proven to be a quick learner and a fast thinker, Winter. I appreciate your perspective on this."

Winter looked away quickly to hide the blush and smile on her face. If his smile was enough to make her blush, hearing his praise made her feel like a schoolgirl that finally got her crush's attention. Not only that, but the fact that she'd thought of something he didn't was strangely satisfying to her. _"He's not perfect or infallible… Perhaps I might actually have a chance with him!"_ She took a deep breath, quickly regaining control of herself. "I'm happy to be of assistance, then." Aurelius nodded and went to continue on when Winter spoke up. "Since you've made Weiss a Rose, is she going to be trained in how to do this?" She gestured to the glowing walls.

Aurelius hummed. "If she wants to learn, I'll teach her. Considering her fighting style and reaction to learning the origin of all Dust used outside Bastion, the Dust chambers that power Myrtenaster might be replaced with an Animus Dust crystal to ensure she doesn't run out. Even if I didn't, I expect she might quickly learn how to create Dust on her own, which would potentially benefit her team since three of the four members have an Elemental aspect to their semblances."

Winter looked at him briefly. "So, you believe she might be a prodigy with Dust manipulation?"

Aurelius glanced over the last bit of the lattice, humming slightly. "Perhaps. While it's a part of her past she doesn't want to acknowledge, her status as heiress to the SDC means she's spent more time studying Dust than most people alive today. It's entirely possible that both of you would have an advantage in learning the secrets of utilizing Dust if you chose to pursue it." Before Winter could respond, Aurelius glanced at her. "It seems the array is still functioning as well as it should be. Perhaps you'd like to get something to eat so we could continue our discussion?"

Winter blinked in surprise, trying to control herself. _"Get something to eat? Like a- no, control yourself, Winter! He is_ not _asking you out on a date… even if it would be nice…"_ she took a breath before nodding. "Very well. A meal and conversation would be nice…" she said before following the Blue Rose out of the chamber, barely suppressing the traitorous part of her that wanted to squeal.

 **This chapter's done. The ability of the Bastion to reconfigure came from both a practical standpoint (making it easier to modify areas deep inside the Core section) and a story standpoint (it gave an excuse to show how Ruby and Weiss might decorate, but it also gave a funny/cute scene of Ruby casually playing with the newfound power she and Weiss have over their home while talking to Weiss) as well as to expand a bit on things. This also gave A way for Winter and Aurelius to interact by having her follow him down there and then start asking questions.**

 **Likewise, Winter and Aurelius going out to eat with Winter trying desperately to remember it's** _ **not**_ **a date seemed funny to me. Winter almost having a "Senpai noticed me!" moment was too much for me to pass up as well.**

 **Also, I was thinking of having Ruby and Weiss have little pet names/nicknames for each other, same with Blake and Yang. Right now, Blake would obviously be "kitty" or "kitten" and I think I'll have Ruby call Weiss "angel," but this still leaves one for Yang and Ruby. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them.**


	53. Chapter 53: Moving Part 2, Not-Date

**I'd like to apologize for the delay for this chapter. Over the last four days (November 5th to the 8th) I was only able to get about 5-700 words typed total due to not being able to find enough time for it. As a result, I feel like this chapter's too short. From now on, I'll be trying to get** _ **at least**_ **two chapters out each week if I can and try to keep them within the 3-4000 word range if possible.**

 **I forgot to mention this last chapter, but I had help from Bookah figuring out what Ruby and Weiss' home might look like. They've helped me out with this chapter as well, but we had a bit of difficulty this time around.**

 **Chapter 53: Bumblebee's Home and Winter's Not-Date**

 **Bastion, Rose Quarter, Yang and Blake's Residence**

Yang let out a sigh as she dropped onto the couch. "Alright! We've got everything in!" She looked around with a frown. "Too bad this place is so plain though…"

Blake nodded. "Considering the fact that each of these residences has a private arboretum to serve as a yard and an entire district of the city set aside for them, I figured the Rose family would have _some_ interest in luxury… Maybe it really is just some cultural thing and obsession with secrecy," the cat faunus muttered.

Yang shrugged and looked up at the console connected to the wall. "That's the only interesting thing here, really… It seems like there's things like that everywhere though, so I have no clue what it's for," Yang muttered before turning to Blake. "Soo, what do you want to do, kitty?" Blake looked at Yang in confusion.

"Is there any reason you call me that besides me being a cat faunus?" Blake asked.

Yang smiled meekly. "Well… you're my amazing and adorable kitty cat. Why _wouldn't_ I call you that?"

Blake sighed, a slight smile on her face. "Really, Yang? You're giving me a cute little nickname now?" Yang scratched the back of her head.

"What? I thought you'd like it," Yang said meekly, causing Blake to sigh. "Come on, there has to be something you'd want to call me!"

"Yang, not every couple _has_ to do that, you know…" Yang looked at the cat faunus expectantly, causing her to roll her eyes. "Alright, give me a minute…" Before Blake could think, there was a knock on the door. Yang hopped up and went over, opening it to find the other half of their team outside.

"Oh, hey Ruby! Did you guys finish unpacking already?" Yang asked with a smile.

Ruby grinned and stepped inside. "Yep! We got unpacked and even…" Ruby looked around, frowning slightly at the bland look of the room. "Um… Why is everything so bland?"

Yang and Blake looked at each other. "What do you mean? This is how we found the place, right kitty?" Yang said, scratching her head.

Blake looked at the two cloaked girls strangely. "All the houses are set up like this…" Ruby and Weiss looked at each other with a sigh before the White Rose tapped on the console, causing the walls to turn a bright yellow. Yang and Blake jumped slightly. "What?" the cat muttered weakly.

"Every residence and commercial area in Bastion is probably set up like this," Weiss said, removing the tablet from the wall and handing it to Yang. The blonde grinned before taping on it, changing it to a more subdued yellow. Blake blinked in surprise.

"This thing is so cool!" Yang said with a grin, moving to tap a few more spots. Blake watched as the cream couches turned tan and the floor was covered by a gentle shag carpet. The last thing she added was a flatscreen to the wall across from the sofa. Blake stood up and took the tablet, walking into a nearby room as she tapped a few buttons. The group followed her into the room, watching as a collection of bookshelves formed, taking up the walls from floor to ceiling except for the wall facing the arboretum, where a few small windows formed. A few easy chairs and couches made of dark leather appeared to match the dark wood of the shelves and hardwood floor. A reading lamp appeared behind the chairs, ensuring comfortable and easy reading. On the opposite side of the room, a desk appeared. Yang let out a whistle. "Looks like my little kitty's thinking of _really_ expanding her collection…"

Blake rolled her eyes. "You know I like reading…" The cat faunus paused as she looked into the blonde's eyes, briefly getting lost in them, admiring the spirit and color. "…lilac." Yang blinked before grinning.

"Alright, I can work with that," Yang said, causing Ruby and Weiss to blink.

"Um… What?" Ruby muttered, causing Blake to glance at her.

"Yang wanted me to try to come up with a cute nickname for her. I think I'll use lilac unless something better comes to mind," the cat faunus said as she dropped into the chair behind the desk, letting out a sigh.

Yang grinned before turning to Ruby and Weiss. "So, have you guys thought of any cute little pet names or anything?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and opened her mouth when Ruby spoke up. "If I did have a nickname for Weiss, it'd probably be angel." The other girl looked at her in surprise, causing Ruby to blush, rubbing the back of her neck. "What? You're beautiful, caring, and have a divine singing voice. What else would I call you?"

Weiss looked away with a blush, smiling softly. "Thanks, Ruby…" Yang let out a laugh, causing the White Rose to glare at her. "Is there something you'd like to say, Yang?"

Yang grinned. "Sorry, it's just I couldn't help but think about how much you changed. It used to be that you'd explode if someone even _thought_ of calling you angel or something like that. Now when Ruby flirts you look like you're a teenage girl. It's just so _cute_ how she's melted that heart of yours!"

Weiss blinked for a moment, thinking back. _"I can definitely say I'm happy with the way Ruby's influenced me…"_ Weiss shrugged and looked at the blonde. "Does it really matter? I want to become someone _better_ than the girl that left Atlas and that's what I'm doing."

Ruby smiled and wrapped her mate in a hug. "As long as you're who you want to be at the end of it, I'll still be happy," the wolf said, causing the fox to blush again.

"Dolt…" she muttered before Yang grabbed the tablet from Blake, marching out of the room. The other occupants followed behind her as she entered a room, tapping the screen and causing exercise equipment to appear. The room's walls turned a warm yellow and a punching bag came down from the ceiling. Weiss rolled her eyes at this. "Of course a brute like you would want something to destroy…"

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "I've gotta agree with Weiss, Yang. You aren't exactly _gentle_ with those things…"

Yang rolled her eyes. "C'mon, I'm not _that_ bad!" Yang turned around and delivered a few solid punches, quickly snapping the chain. She went to let out a frustrated sigh when the entire bag was lifted in the air, the chains quickly reattaching and becoming thicker. "Wait… What?" The blonde clenched her prosthetic fist and swung, striking the bag hard enough for it to swing into the ceiling before jumping out of the way of it.

The four girls looked at each other in surprise before Ruby shrugged. "I guess whatever it is that lets us change things around like this is set up to repair damage and prevent destruction of anything it makes? I have no idea…"

They quickly went through the rest of the house, blacks, tans, and various shades of yellows dominating the Bumblebee pair's new home. The bedroom floor had a tan carpet, bright yellow walls, a few reading lamps, and a bed frame of dark wood. The mattress was covered in tan sheets and a comforter. Once this was done, Yang and Blake quickly went outside. A few trees stood outside near a corner of the arboretum, which quickly became a small meditation garden for the cat faunus. A pool with some lounge chairs took up a portion of the remaining yard. "I think this went fairly well," Weiss said. "This place is very much something the two of you would make and it feels welcoming enough."

Yang grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said before her eyes lit up. "Oh! We should do something together! We haven't spent time together as a team since Ruby's birthday and that…" The blonde glanced meekly at the White Rose.

Weiss sighed. "It's fine… But I agree, it has been a while since we did anything as a team…" Weiss tapped her chin. "Although, at this point anything beyond training and team activities _might_ just count as a double date if it's just the four of us."

Yang grinned and looked at Ruby. "Movie night?"

Ruby smiled. "Weiss and I will get everything set up, you guys get everything packed and meet us at our place, okay?" Ruby said, waiting to get a nod from everyone before the group split up again.

 **Bastion, Surface Commercial Area, with Winter and Aurelius**

Winter looked around the restaurant that Aurelius had led her to. It was a small establishment with a cozy, quiet atmosphere. She looked around at portraits hanging on the walls, noticing that none of the towns or landscapes looked familiar. "What are these locations?" she asked as they sat down at a booth in the corner.

"Each of these are locations on Draconys," he said, before pointing at a few paintings. "That is Point Refuge, the Clockwork City. It's the oldest settlement in Remnant, or at least its ruins are…" The Blue Rose's eyes darkened briefly. "Ozpin was in control of it during the Triumvirate's reign. That one there is Sanctuary," he said, pointing at a painting of a large city of towering buildings and sweeping buttresses, a Dust crystal sitting atop the central tower illuminating the city in early twilight. "Before Bastion was constructed, the Crown Crystal stood as the largest Dust crystal in existence. Over there is the entrance to the Dragon's Talon mountain range…" Aurelius continued naming off a few others before someone walked over.

"Hello! What can I get for you?" the woman said, giving Aurelius a smile. Winter subtly glared at the other girl. Aurelius simply stared down at the menu.

"Is it the same chef as down in Vale?" he asked getting a nod from the girl. "In that case, I'll have a hamburger. If memory serves, his burgers are excellent."

Winter looks up at the man in confusion. "Hamburgers?"

Aurelius looks at her in exasperation. "By the gods, you don't know what hamburgers are? I'll admit they're not the best, but they're common throughout the kingdoms. Please tell me I misunderstood."

Winter scoffed. "Do I look like a fool to you? Of course I know what a hamburger is!" Winter turned to the girl and spoke up. "I'll have one as well." The girl nodded, looking at the pair strangely before moving off. _"…I have no idea what a hamburger even is…"_ she thought to herself before glancing at the man across from her. _"…It would be nice if this was a date…"_

Aurelius leaned back in his chair, glancing around but keeping an eye on Winter subtly. _"I wonder if she's figured her feeling out yet… it would be preferable if she actually did considering how enjoyable her company is…"_

Before the silence could get awkward the girl returned with two burgers. Winter looked at it in confusion before Aurelius sighed. "It's ground beef mashed together into a round patty. The thought that there's no _normal_ food in Atlas is concerning though…"

Winter blushed before glaring at him. "We have normal food in Atlas!"

Aurelius grinned at her. "Then how do you not know what a hamburger is?" he asked, taking a sip from the soda the waitress had left.

Winter let out a frustrated sigh before changing the subject. "Exactly how hard is it to learn Dust manipulation?" she asked.

Aurelius took a bite out of the burger and took a moment to think. "It depends on the person. Some are more gifted than others, and having an elemental or Dust-related semblance, such as the Rose Storm, Weiss' Flash Freeze, Yang's Dragon's Fury, or the Schnee family Glyphs, often have a strong grasp or affinity for their specific element, allowing them to learn much faster when using it."

Winter took a bite out of her own burger, taking a moment to process both this piece of information and the taste of the burger and its various toppings. _"perhaps next time I'll remember to ask what they put on something before I order it…"_ she thought before swallowing. "So, I assume Weiss will soon be learning how to do this?" Aurelius nodded and a thought briefly crossed her mind. "Would it be possible for me to learn as well by any chance?"

Winter tried not to squirm when the Blue Rose's attention landed squarely on her. He hummed for a second before speaking up. "Normally I would say no. With you being a member of the Atlesian military there's no way to be certain they won't make you pass on this information to others that might become unstable…" Winter looked down, trying to suppress her disappointment. " _However_ , you have potential and you're someone I know I can trust, so I'll give you a test beforehand." Winter blinked in surprise before she spoke up.

"You're not lying, are you?" she asked, causing Aurelius to let out a sigh.

"No. I promise I'll teach you… _if_ you can pass my test. I won't tell you what it is or when it happens, but you will be getting tested soon." Winter nodded and the two ate in relative silence, the woman mentally cheering her small victory.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was 2-3 days later than it should have been. As I explained to a few people, this was an arc I was** _ **not**_ **planning to have happen (to summarize, Weiss was originally supposed to be dragged back to Atlas after finding out about the significance of a Rose's cloak but** _ **before**_ **Ruby woke up, forcing her character development to happen parallel to canon's events and destroy half the Schnee Mansion in her escape, but people wanted them together, I didn't want to put it off, and after that I didn't have the heart to go that way) so there's very little I know what to do with. In the lead up to Volume 4's events, we will hopefully regain a bit of steam and get things moving.**

 **As I said in the opening AN, a lot of ideas for Bumblebee's home, just like Ruby and Weiss' home, came from discussions with Bookah and I'd like to thank them for their help.**

 **Winter asking about learning how to control Dust is something that I've considered having happen in the past, but I thought her asking him on a whim might fit here.**

 **As always, let me know what you think.**


	54. Chapter 54: Movie Night and a Test

**I'm glad that people liked Bumblebee's room, but now I'm curious if the lack of a response to Ruby and Weiss' room means it's not as good. Oh well. I hope you like this chapter.**

 **Chapter 54: Movie Night and a Test**

 **Rose Quarter, Ruby and Weiss' Residence**

Ruby let out a sigh as she stepped out of the bath room in her pajamas. She walked down the stairs to the living room, dropping down next to Weiss and wrapping an arm around the fox's shoulders. "I think I'm going to love this place," the wolf said as she snuggled against her mate, admiring how she looked in the pajamas from their time on Patch.

Weiss nuzzled against Ruby's neck with a smile. "Definitely. Although we'll have to fill some of the empty rooms eventually," she said, getting a nod from the wolf before she grinned seductively, climbing into the other girl's lap. She leaned forward, whispering in the girl's ear. "We don't have to worry about anyone walking in on us either…" she said, almost purring.

Ruby grinned back. "Wow Weiss, I guess letting your animal side out made you pretty playful, didn't it?" she teased, grabbing the other girl's ass and blinking in surprise. "No underwear tonight? You don't really have an excuse this time." Weiss gave the girl a playful smile.

"There's only one person who's going to know, right?" she said before planting a kiss on her mate's lips. "Once Yang and Blake leave, we'll go to bed and snuggle, okay?"

Ruby smiled. "Sure… You start training tomorrow after all."

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh. "What should I expect?"

Ruby hummed. "Well, manipulating Dust is something you should be able to do easily, but actually activating it is going to be the hard part. It took me weeks to get it figured out before Mountain Glenn and even then, all I could do was prime Burn Dust to destroy the tunnel."

Weiss nodded and went to speak when the doorbell rang. She let out a sigh and stood up, heading toward the door. She opened it with a smile, looking at the Bumblebee pair on the other side. "I didn't expect the two of you to get here this fast," she said simply, getting a grin from the blonde.

"Aw, you sound like you didn't want us here yet, Weiss," Yang said with a grin. The White Rose rolled her eyes and stepped aside, letting them in. "We didn't really have much to unpack, so we just grabbed a few movies and came over."

Ruby nodded and took the stack from her sister, setting them on the table before looking through them. "We've never been able to finish this one on our own," Ruby said, discarding a horror movie.

"I'm not really in the mood for an action movie," Weiss said. Ruby nodded and looked at the other two, getting a shrug before she tossed a few movies onto the reject pile.

The group spent a few minutes discussing the remaining movies, with Ruby and Yang telling their partners about each one when asked, until they picked a simple romance. The two couples quickly retreated to their own couches. Weiss settled in, resting on top of Ruby as the wolf's tail wrapped around her. Yang wrapped her arm around Blake and the cat faunus rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

The movie they had chosen was, according to Ruby and Yang, based off a story from the time of the Great War and the first in a series. As Weiss and Blake watched, they quickly learned that it was following a young soldier from Mantle during an ambush gone wrong. Going off reports that the King of Vale would be moving through the area, Mantle sent a group of soldiers to the forests to the far north of Sanus to stage an ambush. Unbeknownst to them, however, the kingdom of Vale had come to suspect a traitor in their ranks was feeding intel to Mantle and Mistral, leading to a battalion lead by a detachment of the king's personal guard being sent in the king's place.

After a bloody battle, only one soldier from Mantle was left alive, but was spared when a woman from the king's guard managed to convince her companions that he might be able to identify the traitor if they take him back to Vale. Her superior, one of the highest-ranking captains in the king's guard, reluctantly agreed. Along the way, the woman attempted to get the man to reveal anything he knew, only for him to refuse.

On the third night, while the Valian army was sleeping, a swarm of Grimm attacked, quickly cutting through the defenders. Weiss watched, wide-eyed as the elite Valian soldiers fought fiercely against a Mammoth, struggling to take the beast down while the rest of the army fought a group of Beowolfs and Ursai. The woman, realizing that there was no way they could defend the camp, was forced to cut her prisoner free to help her fight out into the woods. The two quickly ran, leaving behind the sound of the carnage. Now lost in the wilderness, the two soldiers were forced to work together for survival. As days stretched on, the two continued to wander aimlessly, the man knowing that the woman would lead him to Vale and captivity, but knowing he would die on his own in the unfamiliar land. The early evenings were spent talking about home as they opened up to each other. Eventually, the man admitted that he wasn't comfortable with Mantle's policies and wished to live elsewhere, but that the war prevented him from doing that even before he was forced into Mantle's military.

The two continued on, slowly falling for each other but neither wanting to admit it as they struggled to maintain their distance from each other. One night, the woman, unable to sleep earlier, fell asleep on her watch. The members of Team RWBY watched as a Boarbatusk charged at her sleeping form with a roar, startling the woman out of her sleep in time to see the man push her to the ground, taking a tusk to the side. Weiss and Blake let out a cry as he fell to the side, the woman screaming before killing the beast. Guilt-ridden, she quickly tended to his wound and sat next to him, sobbing quietly at her failure. Blake let out a sad sigh as she thought of how much this was like her situation after the Battle of Beacon, only for Yang to give her a reassuring squeeze.

The man woke up the next day to find the woman still on watch, cheeks stained with tears and eyes showing her exhaustion. The moment she realized he was alive and awake, the woman wrapped him in a hug, burying her head into his shoulder and sobbing openly, apologizing for her mistake. The man let out a sigh and pushed her away slightly, giving her a quick kiss before telling her that he could never be angry at her. The two spent the next few days enjoying their time together, the woman helping her beloved with his wounds. One day, an early model airship flew overhead and the two realized what was happening; Mantle had found them first. The man begged the woman to leave him, arguing that Mantle taking her prisoner was far worse than dying. When she made it clear she would never abandon him, the man gave her a small pendant and promised that he would survive the war and that he wouldn't rest until he found her again.

The members of Team RWBY cried silently as the woman returned the promise, giving the man a gentle kiss. Before she left the man revealed the name of the traitor in the Valian ranks. The woman bid farewell, clutching the pendant to her chest as she ran. Weiss let out a frustrated cry as a group of Mantle's soldiers walked into the clearing and the screen went black.

"What happens next?!" she cried out.

"You're going to need to wait for part two," Yang said in a singsong voice. Weiss and Blake let out a groan as the blonde put the movie away.

Weiss let out a yawn and nuzzled against her mate. "Can we go to bed now?" she said tiredly.

Ruby smiled and gave her a quick peck. "Sure. Let me just see Yang and Blake out, alright angel?" the wolf asked. Weiss nodded lightly, a subtle blush on her face as she stood up and went upstairs. Ruby stood up and walked over to the door with the Bumblebee pair. "I'm glad we did this… even if we got too into the movie to actually talk…" Ruby said with a smile.

Yang grinned. "Hey, look at it this way, now you get to have alone time with Weiss!"

Ruby blushed and looked away meekly. "Um… Probably not considering she starts her training tomorrow. She's going to need her sleep."

Yang nodded, frowning slightly. "Right, I forgot about that… Well, we'll see the two of you tomorrow then! Good night!"

Ruby nodded and waved to them before closing the door, locking it before heading upstairs. She opened the door and looked at the bed. She froze when she realized that the fox's shoulders were bare. "Weiss, are you…" she asked meekly, causing her mate to look at her.

"What? I liked the feeling of sleeping like this last time," she said with a slight blush. Ruby looked at her, blushing lightly. "Well? Are you going to just stand there or are you going to come to bed?" Ruby jumped and smiled for a moment before walking over towards the tablet attached to the wall, tapping it a few times. "What are you doing?" Weiss asked before Ruby stripped down.

"Well, you wanted to cuddle, and you wanted to sleep naked, so I figured I'd drop the temperature in the room just a little bit, so we can keep each other nice and warm," Ruby said, sliding under the blankets and wrapping her arms around her mate's stomach. _"This feels so natural, actually,"_ she hummed to herself, relishing the skin contact. "Is this alright?" she asked meekly.

Weiss rolled her eyes as she moved closer to the wolf, letting out a content sigh. "Dolt, it's fine. We've done more than just cuddle before after all…" Ruby let out a sheepish laugh before Weiss spoke up again. "How about we sleep like this from now on?"

Ruby grinned and planted a kiss on the fox's cheek. "Sure, just don't get mad at me if I can't keep my hands to myself," she said.

"Don't worry about it, dolt," Weiss said, the term taking on an endearing tone. "After all, I'm sure we'd both like it."

 **Citadel Grounds, with Ruby, Weiss, Winter, and Aurelius**

The Blue Rose glanced at the three in front of him before letting out a sigh. "Alright then, today's the day. Weiss," he started, causing the fox's ears to perk up. "Today, you're going to start learning everything there is about being a Rose. Dust manipulation, the Rose Storm, and perhaps even the Vigil eventually. For now, we'll focus on what you'll have the least difficulty with." He quickly handed Weiss a Burn crystal. The White Rose blinked in confusion as Aurelius handed one to Winter as well. "Assuming you both know how to control Dust with assistance, you will be required to draw the power from this Dust crystal, _without assistance_ , and increase the temperature of a specially designed room in the Citadel Tower by one to three degrees. This will be the test you need to pass to continue."

Weiss looked up at him in confusion. "I don't understand how this is what we need to learn in order to pass. We can already control Dust."

Ruby was the one to speak up. "You use Myrtenaster to use the Dust and help control it though. It's not the same thing and this is _much_ harder, like I said. You need to be able to draw precise amounts of power from the crystal. Too much and it could explode, like what happened at Mountain Glenn. Too little, and you can't accomplish your task." The two sisters looked at the Dust crystals in their hands nervously.

"Don't worry, for what I want you to do, it's unlikely you'd be able to do more than cook yourself… Which is why the rooms are set up to release energy from a Frost lattice to drop the temperature if it increases by more than three degrees exactly. I've made sure that you don't have to worry about more than mild burns, which we can heal quickly enough anyways. You may make an attempt at any time and ask me for advice if you wish. However, just remember that in the end, neither Ruby nor I can help you with the final step of the process."

The two sisters looked at the Burn crystals in their hand with a sigh. This was going to be a long day… If they were lucky.

 **Sorry for the wait. I was having a hard time figuring out what to do about the movie night scene until I decided to just write a summary for a fake movie plot. I'm not sure how it came out though.**

 **Let me know what you think.**


	55. Chapter 55:A Small Push, Ironwood

**200 favorites and almost 300 follows, you guys are amazing and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **This one is a relatively minor chapter in Weiss and Winter's training, but the end sets things up for next chapter…**

 **Chapter 55: A Small Push and Ironwood's Folly**

 **Bastion, Citadel Tower, with Weiss and Ruby**

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh as she stared at the red crystal in her hand. She'd been sitting in the room for over an hour and couldn't even tell if she was doing anything right. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do!" Weiss said in frustration. Ruby put a hand on her shoulder.

"Weiss, it's fine if it takes a while… Look how long it took me to figure it out on my own," Ruby said, getting a sigh from her mate. The wolf quickly put a hand on the girl's cheek. "Weiss… this is all about will. You don't just need to know what you're trying to make the Dust do. You need to actually picture the Dust's energy being drawn out, what you want it to do, and then use your will to make it happen."

Weiss blinked momentarily. "That… doesn't make much sense. Isn't that what I've been trying to do?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, what you've been trying to do is make the Dust raise the room temperature without actually focusing on the Dust itself. That's the reason this takes so long to learn; people focus more on the _what_ than the _how_ when they start and just think they have to focus on the task at hand. I had that problem, too."

"But with Myrtenaster-"

"Myrtenaster draws the energy out for you, Weiss, and it doesn't even do it efficiently," Ruby said, making the fox look down. "You've always used it to skip two steps and limit what you could do in the third. If I want to shoot a Beowolf with Crescent Rose, I can't just glare angrily at the Grimm until Crescent Rose unfolds, takes aim, and pulls its own trigger, right?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "That makes even _less_ sense, Ruby…" The wolf pouted slightly, causing her to refocus on the Dust crystal in her hand. _"Come on! Stupid Dust magic shouldn't be this hard!"_ After a few more minutes, she decided she hated the Dust crystal and started imagining every way she could possibly destroy the disgusting rock. As she thought about lighting it on fire and watching it evaporate in a fireball, she paused at the spark of light that shot through the crystal. _"Wait… is that really how it works?"_ She tried again, focusing on the thought of the inferno held within the crystal coming to the surface and grinning as the crystal shone brightly.

"Nice work, Weiss, now you just need to draw only a bit-"

Ruby's instructions fell on deaf ears as Weiss focused on the crystal in her hand. _"Heat,"_ she thought simply before she felt a chill run down her body, protecting her from the explosion centered on her hand as the duo let out a scream. A beeping sounded before a strong surge of Frost Dust chilled the air.

"Gah! Cold! Too cold!" Ruby cried, moving to wrap her cloak around her, getting a gasp from Weiss.

"Ruby! Your cloak!" Weiss cried out, causing the wolf to look down at it. The ends were heavily singed and much of the fabric was darkened by the heat, but it was clear large parts of it were burned away. Weiss could already see the panicked look in her mate's eyes. "Oh god, Ruby, I'm so sorry! I'll get some new fabric to fix this, okay?" Ruby opened her mouth to protest before Weiss placed a finger on her lips. "You helped me when I needed it and this is _my_ fault. I'm doing this, okay?" The wolf nodded and Weiss pulled her out of the room, coughing slightly. "Oh god, why does everything smell stronger lately?"

Ruby walked behind the girl, trembling slightly. "It's probably because you're a fox faunus now. Every faunus is better with a few things but suffers in other areas, such as any faunus with canine traits having a stronger sense of smell. I suppose you just get used to it eventually. You probably haven't noticed it yet because we've been so busy."

Weiss let out a sigh. "I guess so…" She looked up and saw a nearby fabric store and turned to Ruby. "Wait here, okay?" Ruby blinked and stood by the door while her mate ran in. After a few moments, the White Rose came back out with a roll of red cloth and handed it to the wolf. "Here, is this the right kind of fabric?"

Ruby hummed and focused on the cloth, letting out a content sigh as the edge of it started dissolving into rose petals. Weiss watched in surprise as the petals quickly filled in the holes and edges of her girlfriend's cloak with a relieved sigh. Once it was done, Ruby grinned at Weiss. "Yep, it's perfect, thanks angel."

Weiss blushed slightly. "You don't have to thank me, dolt," she said, the term taking on a more endearing tone, causing Ruby to grin. "How about we take a break for lunch?"

Ruby grinned. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea!" She quickly folded up the remaining fabric and stuffed it into her pouch before following along behind her mate.

Weiss rolled her eyes before a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Ruby?" the other girl glanced at her. "When Aurelius confronted Ironwood about the restrictions that were placed on you, he told the general to embrace the Tempest… What did he mean?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "It's related to one of the two most powerful abilities of the Vigil, an ability that gets its name from the fact it strengthens the user's capabilities with the Rose Storm's transformative and Wind-elemental aspects. The most skilled masters of the Rose Storm and the Vigil were so capable that only other members of the Rose family or people with a semblance that had certain traits could have any hope of engaging them in close quarters combat and most ranged weapons can't pierce the storm. It got to the point that the phrase "embrace the Tempest" came to mean throwing yourself at a hopeless task or deliberately enraging one of the Rose family's most elite sages." Weiss shuddered at the thought before they continued walking down the street.

 **With Winter**

Winter ran her fingers across the red Dust crystal as she paced the room, deep in thought. _"It would be too easy if I could simply think about what I want to do and have it happen… I doubt that it's that simple, however…"_ She watched the energy inside swirl lazily, bringing with it the sensation of the fire trapped within. She hummed as a thought crossed her mind and focused on the arcs of energy. _"So much from Draconys is about the strength of will… perhaps that's what is needed?"_ Winter watched as the arcs shone brighter, slowing engulfing the crystal and gently warming her hand before she broke away, letting the Dust crystal return to normal.

"I'm impressed," a familiar voice said from behind her before she spun around. Aurelius calmly took the crystal from her hand. "Most people have difficulty with actually awakening the power inside a Dust crystal, but it seems you've discovered how to do that without help…" Winter smiled subtly while the Blue Rose was staring at the crystal. "…And yet you don't seem to have made an attempt to access the power within."

Winter quickly took the crystal back. "I wasn't sure how much energy I would need to heat the room by the required amount," she said simply before glancing at him. "How do you know how the amount of energy you need for a specific task when using Dust?"

Aurelius let out a sigh. "It takes practice. I remember more than a few mishaps of my own shortly after creating Dust for the first time…" He looked away, running a hand through his hair. "You have potential, Winter," he said, causing the woman to smile slightly at the praise. Before she could respond, Aurelius continued. "Unfortunately, General Ironwood wanted to speak with us, which means the next step of this test will have to wait."

Winter let out a sigh and followed quietly. As they stepped onto the platform, Winter decided to speak up. "Do we have a casualty estimate yet?"

Winter winced as she saw Aurelius' gaze darken. "Unfortunately. However, we need to wait until we can contact the headmasters of Haven and Shade before we can discuss that."

Winter nodded and waited as the lift rose, watching people wander each level as they drifted beside the Spire crystal. While she was still getting accustomed to the Bastion, she had quickly come to admire the architecture and design of the structure. "Who was it that designed this place?" she asked.

Aurelius glanced around. "Hundreds of people helped in the structural design, just like there were countless sages working on the lattices to power it. Much of the design was, however, handled by Vulcan and based off the construction style of Sanctuary itself. As I'm sure you could tell, Ozpin carried over many of the design choices when Beacon was constructed." Winter nodded as the lift stopped, stepping off behind Aurelius as he walked into his office. Once he sat at his desk, he tapped the console built into the desk, causing Dust to create a thin screen in front of the desk. Winter quickly stood behind him, hands behind her back as Ironwood appeared on the screen. "General, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked calmly.

"Aurelius," Ironwood said with a cautious nod. "The Atlesian Council is up in arms about the events of the Battle of Beacon and much of what's happened since. I doubt it's any better elsewhere after the brief communications blackout Beacon Tower's destruction caused. Between the massive destruction in Vale, the death of Ozpin, and the large number of casualties suffered protecting the kingdom, people are starting to go into a panic. If it wasn't for the fact that many of the participants in the Vytal Festival tournament were either seriously injured in the battle or returned home afterwards, we might have tried to continue the tournament in an effort to at least get everyone's mind off the situation, but now…"

Aurelius nodded sadly before Winter spoke up. "Perhaps a demonstration of the fighting abilities of some of Bastion's strongest defenders would serve as an acceptable distraction." Aurelius looked at the woman over his shoulder, a look of disbelief on his face. "There is an arena within the Citadel's walls and I'm certain knowing the strength of Sanctuary's forces might serve to give people a bit of hope."

Ironwood nodded. "Potentially, but at this point the only member of Sanctuary's defenders anyone is interested in seeing fight is Aurelius himself," he said, causing Winter to pale.

"Sir, I wouldn't recommend that. I've seen how he fights and what he's capabable of, and-"

"Schnee," Ironwood said, causing Winter to go quiet. "Considering your first-hand experience with Aurelius and the fact that you're the most capable fighter Atlas has in Bastion right now." Winter went wide-eyed as the general continued. "If I had a say in the matter, I feel that you would be the most appropriate person to fight against him in this exhibition match."

Winter started to protest when Aurelius spoke up. "Normally I would be against this idea entirely," he said, before glancing at Winter over his shoulder. "However, I can't say I'm not interested in a battle against Winter. That would be up to her to decide, of course."

Winter let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the look she got from Ironwood. _"I feel like this is a bad idea… If I refuse, though, would Aurelius be disappointed in me?"_ Winter weighed her options for a moment before taking a breath. "Very well… I will take part in this match…"

Ironwood nodded and Aurelius hummed. "I'll make sure that the arena is ready," the Blue Rose said as he stood up. "If there's nothing else…"

Ironwood shook his head. "Nothing else. I'll be in touch with you again when it's time to discuss the Battle of Beacon," the general said before the screen went blank, the Dust returning to wherever it came from. Winter followed Aurelius quietly, trying to decide what to do about her situation.

 **So, Ironwood may or may not have just doomed Winter to a lot of pain… I wonder what people will think of this chapter and if they're looking forward to next chapter.**


	56. Chapter 56: Frost in the Tempest

**I'm glad people are looking forward to this chapter. Hopefully it ends up being a good one.**

 **Chapter 56: Frost in the Tempest**

 **Bastion, Citadel Grounds, Training Arena**

"Greetings, people of Remnant," Janus said, hands clasped in front of him on the desk in the makeshift announcer's booth. "With the attack on Beacon over and repair work on the school and Vale underway, the Vytal Festival tournament has been cancelled. However, it has been decided that, since you were all expecting a spectacular battle, we would give you one!" A cheer went over the crowd as Loki hummed next to the Imperator, putting his feet up on the desk. Down in the arena, Winter nervously adjusted her grip on her blade while glancing across the arena at Aurelius. The Blue Rose had stabbed the tip of his blade into the ground and was tapping his fingers against the grip. "In this exhibition match, we will be having Winter Schnee from Atlas fighting against Aurelius Rose!"

Aurelius let out a sigh and grabbed his sword, getting into a fighting stance without any flair, holding the longsword one-handed. "Good luck, Winter," he said with a subtle nod.

Winter nodded back. "And good luck to you as well," she said. _"Although I fear I may need it more than you…"_ She glanced over his form quickly, trying desperately to come up with a strategy that might work and cursing her lack of a ranged weapon. _"The only way I can win is to engage him in close quarters, but that means going_ through _the Rose Storm and the Tempest…"_ Winter took a deep breath before taking her own stance.

In the stands, Ruby looked at Weiss nervously. "Do you really think she'll be able to win this?" Ruby asked, scratching the back of her neck.

Weiss tapped her fingers on her knees. "I'm confident she'll be able to put up a decent fight. She might not win, but I think it'll be an interesting battle." Ruby looked at her mate before humming, turning back to the arena.

Before the match started, the arena shook as trees sprouted from the ground, hills rose, and a river was carved through the land. Winter blinked in surprise before refocusing on the man in front of her. "Now then, let the match begin!" Janus declared before Winter stabbed her blade into the ground, summoning a pack of Beowolfs. The Grimm charged at the Blue Rose while Winter dashed to the side, hoping that her summons would buy her time to score a hit.

Aurelius hummed and watched the pack charge him, stabbing the lead Grimm in the head before decapitating the one behind it, moving through them quickly. Winter cursed silently before charging at him from behind. The Blue Rose's ear twitched before he spun around, blocking the slash at his neck and pushing the woman away. She quickly regained her balance and deflected a thrust from her opponent before jumping over him, deploying her second blade. The moment she hit the ground, she swung both blades diagonally, forcing Aurelius to block. She pushed against the sword for a moment before jumping away, letting Aurelius charge at her. Winter ducked under the wide horizontal slash before thrusting at his stomach, causing him to sidestep. Before Winter could recover, Aurelius brought his blade down in an overhead swing, causing her to pale.

She quickly jumped out of the way, watching as Aurelius' sword struck the ground. A blast of energy was released, destroying the ground in a three-foot wide path stretching ten feet. Winter swallowed nervously as she glanced back at her opponent. _"Of course he's back at his full strength now…"_ she thought to herself before she blocked a sword strike with one of her blades, wincing as she thrust forward with the other. Aurelius jumped back quickly, giving the woman a chance to surge forward, delivering a strike to his shoulder. She grinned slightly as he staggered back from the hit, a small smile on his face. She paled as he swung his sword, moving fast enough that she barely ducked under it. The next few moments were spent with Winter on the defensive, trying desperately to dodge, deflect, or block a series of quick strikes from the Blue Rose before she let out a frustrated growl. _"Perhaps I'll have to resort to using it…"_ she thought quietly.

Aurelius watched as she jumped back before charging, making a horizontal slash at her chest. The sword struck… and Aurelius watched in shock as the woman shattered into ice particles, continuing his stride a few steps before she reformed behind him, forcing him to block a slash from behind. In the announcer's booth, Loki recoiled in shock, falling over with a bang. "Well… that was an unexpected development…" Janus said before glancing at Loki. "Loki, get off the floor… There's a reason we tell you not to put your feet up on everything." Loki got up with a grumble, twirling a knife in his hand.

Ruby winced up in the stands. "So, Winter has one of those rare semblances that works just enough like the Elemental and Transformative aspects of the Rose Storm to let her deal with fighting someone like Aurelius," she said, getting a nod from her mate. "If her control's good enough, this could actually be an interesting fight…"

The Blue Rose smiled before he spun around her in a burst of speed, quickly delivering a slash to her back before she could respond. Winter lost balance slightly before dodging out of the way of another slash, an arc of air flying past her and cutting a gouge into the hill. She swallowed nervously and made a dash towards the woods, the wolf faunus on her heels. She quickly summoned an Ursa, jumping into a tree to hide as Aurelius dodged out of the way of a claw. The woman stayed as still as possible as Aurelius glanced around, letting out a hum before his cloak shimmered. Winter paled and jumped clear, her gut feeling being the only thing that saved her as his cloak exploded outward, the rose petals moving fast enough to turn the trees to mulch.

Winter watched the swirling vortex of destruction nervously, observing as a nearby rock was slowly reduced to gravel. _"So… this is what it looks like when the Rose Storm is strengthened by the Tempest… anything solid inside would be torn apart, but maybe if I-"_ Winter was drawn out of her musing as Aurelius flew at her, leaving the vortex behind to deliver a quick slash before the Tempest started to reform around him. She took a breath and charged forward, partially converting her body as the petals flew through her. Aurelius looked on in surprise as Winter pushed through, cuts forming on her whenever she failed to keep the perfect balance needed to escape injury. When she reached Aurelius, she quickly delivered a slash across his face before delivering another strike to his stomach, putting every ounce of strength she had into the swing.

Outside the maelstrom, all anyone else saw was Aurelius get flung out before the petals froze in midair, moving around in confusion before being pulled back towards him. His cloak reformed as he stood up, running his hand along the bloody cut on his cheek. He grinned as he turned to face the woman, the expression infectious. _"I-I actually hit him?!"_ Winter thought happily.

"Well, that's new…" he muttered, just loud enough for Winter to hear. "I've taken hits in that before, but never from someone outside my family, and I've _never_ been knocked out of the Tempest before. I'm impressed." She blushed at the praise before Aurelius burst forward, a quick stab aimed at her chest before she parried, slashing across his chest. He exploded into a cloud of petals, reforming behind her to attempt a slash at her legs. He frowned as she repeated his own action, shattering into snow. The two continued blinking around the arena, a cyclone of petals and ice crystals, each trying to get the upper hand until Aurelius glanced at Winter, a look of realization on his face. _"There isn't a Speed aspect to her semblance… it's completely transitionary and transformative with a Frost aspect… which means it has a weakness."_ He smiled and charged forward, making a quick swing at the woman to force her to break apart before punching into the cloud of ice, creating a Wind-powered blast that forced the crystals to slam into the far wall, reforming a dazed Winter.

" _W-what just…"_ she thought to herself before she noticed Aurelius speeding towards her. She let out a gasp and went to defend herself, only for the Blue Rose to stab his sword into the wall, pinning one of her wrists between the blade and cross guard while holding the other to the side. His free hand was on the wall next to her head, his face just inches away from her own. They stopped, panting for a moment from the fight before Aurelius leaned in, whispering in her ear.

"I can't remember the last time I had a battle this intense, Winter," he said. The warm breath on her ear and the way Aurelius said her name caused the woman's breath to hitch. "you're an excellent fighter and an amazing woman." Winter went wide-eyed, weapons dropping from her hands as she blushed.

Janus hummed up in the booth. "It appears we have a victor. The winner of this match is Aurelius Rose!" he declared as the crowd started cheering.

Aurelius stepped back, pulling his sword out of the wall and turning to walk away when Winter tackled him to the ground. He blinked in surprise. "Winter, what's gotten into-" His protests were silenced when the woman leaned forward, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Loki started laughing in the announcer's box. "I'm not sure, Janus, it looks like Winter's the _real_ winner here! Sorry folks, we can't show you _Round Two_!" he said between giggles.

Janus let out a long-suffering sigh, not bothering to look at the Prefect next to him. "I hate you _so much_ right now, Loki…" he said before the feed cut out.

Ruby blinked, looking at the two laying in the arena when Weiss spoke up. "Finally, and here I thought she'd never do anything… _Gods_ , that was annoying."

The wolf faunus turned to look at her mate. "You knew she felt that way about Aurelius? Why didn't you say anything?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "What was I supposed to say? That my sister, an Atlesian Specialist, wanted to get into Aurelius' pants? Why would anyone take that seriously considering I was losing my mind when she said something about her feelings?"

Ruby wrapped the fox in a hug. "I'd believe you, angel," she said with a smile.

Weiss rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. "Of course you would, dolt," she said before giving her mate a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks for saying that, though."

Ruby grinned. "Any time. How about we go get something to eat now, alright?" Weiss nodded and the two quickly stood up, heading out of the arena.

 **Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office with Aurelius and Winter**

Aurelius let out a sigh as Winter paced around the desk, face still red from embarrassment and hands trembling in anxiety. Almost immediately after the match, Ironwood had requested to speak with the two of them, which to her couldn't be a good thing right now. "Winter…" Aurelius' voice was different than the woman had heard prior, causing her to stop. "You should worry so much before we're aware if there's even a reason to be concerned. Stress doesn't suit you."

Winter blinked and took a breath, trying to calm down. Aurelius quickly got up and made a pot of tea, pouring the woman a cup. Winter took the cup with a grateful smile, taking a sip to help calm her nerves. "Thank you," she muttered quietly before the screen flickered to life, causing her to nervously set the cup down.

Ironwood's face appeared on the screen. "Aurelius, Schnee," he said in greeting, causing Winter to snap to attention while Aurelius gave a nod.

"I assume that there's a reason for this interruption? I was considering getting dinner and enjoying some pleasant company," the Blue Rose grumbled out, causing Winter to blush slightly.

Ironwood let out a sigh. "I wanted to inform you that, as a result of pressure from a number of influential individuals, the Atlesian Council has started to have issues with the continued deployment of military equipment and personnel to assist Vale and Sanctuary," he said, causing Winter to go wide-eyed.

"General, we can't just-"

"Winter, I know how you feel about this. I'm certain that the entire world is aware of your opinion now," Winter flinched. "However, that's not why I've contacted you. The Council has requested the withdrawal of all Atlesian forces to Atlas. The requirement to keep open communications and have someone there in the event a quick decision is needed on Atlas' behalf has resulted in a permanent liaison officer being assigned to Bastion in exchange for you sending someone to represent Sanctuary's interests in Atlas… While I'm certain many people, including Jacques, would protest my choice, I feel that Winter Schnee will be transitioning to the role of the _official_ Atlesian representative to Sanctuary." The woman had to suppress her smile at the news while General Ironwood continued speaking. "The only requirement is that you send someone to Atlas to ensure there's someone to represent Sanctuary as well as to offset the fact that Specialist Schnee will not be able to serve a combat role under Atlesian command after this."

Aurelius hummed. "I'll start looking at who I can send that would be willing and get back to you in a few days," he said as Winter picked up her tea cup, taking a sip. The conversation continued for a while before Ironwood ended the call, after which Aurelius glanced at the woman. "So, Liasion Officer now? I'm not sure if that's a promotion, a lateral shift, or a demotion…"

Winter smiled, putting her cup down. "I'd like to think of it as a promotion, honestly. One I feel I will greatly enjoy."

 **This was a fairly fun chapter to write.**

 **For anyone who doesn't understand how this could be such a close fight, it's important to remember that Winter's secondary semblance was never brought up before now and it's been stated a few times that certain semblances allow people to survive in the Tempest-enhanced Rose Storm, something rare enough that most Roses don't expect to encounter it from outsiders.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.**


	57. Chapter 57: Head Count and the HPF

**So, a while back someone told me that the death count from after the Battle of Beacon was a bit low. Since the precise number comes up in this chapter, I've decided to go back and look into it and taken a bit of advice on it.**

 **Just a warning, but this chapter's going to have a few darker elements.**

 **Chapter 57: Head Count and the HPF**

 **Citadel Tower, with Team RWBY**

Weiss paced around the lift nervously, watching the various levels go by, unsure why they were going so far up the tower. "What's so special about this council meeting that it's not taking place in the _Council chamber_ , Ruby?" the fox asked nervously.

Yang glanced at her cousin and adoptive sister with a frown. "Yeah, I don't get what's so special about this…"

Ruby sighed, playing with the Rose crest that she was using as a clasp for her cloak. "Whenever something happens that involves the Order of the Blue Rose, there was always a meeting place where the members involved would meet. Here in Bastion, I guess Aurelius had a room built for these meetings."

Blake blinks. "I get that you and Weiss are part of it because of the fact you were born a Rose and Weiss chose to become one, but what about Yang and me? We never actually agreed to join."

Ruby glanced at the cat faunus before shrugging. "Most likely it involves all of us, which means we might not be the only teams here for the meeting," Ruby said before the lift stopped, stepping off with her team in tow. They wandered down a corridor nervously, glancing around at the Goliaths and Prefects that had replaced the usual security of the Citadel. Near the end, they found a large door with the Rose crest carved into it, with Adrienne standing outside, a frown on her face. "Hey Adrienne, is something wrong?"

Adrienne ran a hand through her hair, looking away. "Yeah, we have the death count for the attack on Vale and Beacon…" she muttered, causing the group in front of her to get serious. "Grandpa Auri needs me to get a few more people, just go in and find a chair wherever you want, okay?" She quickly ran off, leaving Team RWBY to blink in confusion before heading through the doors.

The interior of the room contained a large, circular table surrounded by chairs, with two rows of chairs and desks surrounding it on platforms. Aurelius sat at the head of the table, glancing over some papers with a frown. Winter was standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder. Much to the surprise of everyone except Ruby and Weiss, Torchwick and Neo were in the room, with the girl happily eating ice cream out of a cup, bits of candy in it. Yang walked up to the girl and looked at her. "Remember me, shorty?"

Neo stopped to look at her. "Oh, hi… Sorry about the fight, dad says it's important to do your best on the job…" Torchwick put his hand on the girl's head, gently ruffling her hair and causing her to pout.

Yang rolled her eyes and grinned. "How about we have a rematch sometime? Just a friendly spar," Yang asked.

The girl smiled as she took another bite of her treat. "Mhmm," she nodded, continuing to eat.

Yang let out a sigh and sat down next to the rest of her team. "You know, I don't think I was expected to get my ass kicked by a cheerful little girl…" she muttered, causing Weiss to roll her eyes and pat her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Yang. With a bit of practice, you might be able to hold your own against her," the White Rose said, causing Yang to cast a glare her way.

"Gee, thanks Weiss, that makes me feel _so_ much better," she said sarcastically, causing Weiss to grin. Before the fox could respond, the doors opened again. The group glanced over as Qrow, Summer, Team JNPR, Janus, and Adrienne came in. Team RWBY blinked in surprise at the sight of the other team before Ruby's earlier words came to mind, causing them to simply wave to the other team as everyone took their seats.

Once everyone was seated, four screens lit up, each showing the insignia of one of the major kingdoms. While Ironwood appeared in the screen displaying the Atlesian insignia, a member of the Valian Council appeared in Colvin's place, a woman appeared over the Vacuan insignia, and a large, stern looking man appeared in the screen for the Mistrali representative. "Oh great, it's Richie…" Qrow muttered, causing the Mistrali representative to frown.

"Is there a problem, Qrow? I don't seem to recall having you complain about me being one of the things on today's agenda," the man said with a rumble in his voice. He had brown hair with traces of grey and a short beard. Beyond that, the only thing that could be seen was the red surcoat he was wearing since the screen showed nothing below his chest. Many in the room could easily recognize the man named Richard Lionheart, the younger and more respected brother of Leonardo Lionheart.

Qrow stretched, putting his feet on the table. "Nah, I just don't think I want to hear your _amazing stories_ today."

"Enough, both of you," Aurelius growled out, causing everyone to glance at him nervously. "We're have more important matters to deal with than listening to your childish squabbles!"

" _He hasn't been in a good mood at all today… I thought Adrienne was exaggerating when she said he doesn't handle his perceived failures well, but this…"_ Winter thought worriedly.

Ironwood nodded. "I have to agree, we have some… _serious_ matters to discuss, beyond the Battle of Beacon," he said, getting the attention of everyone in the room before the woman spoke up.

"The headmaster of Shade Academy could not take part in this meeting, but the head of the Council of Vacuo has requested that I sit in for them both. I would appreciate if we could get this meeting finished quickly," she said, getting a nod from many of the room's other occupants.

Aurelius quickly gestured to Janus, causing him to step forward. "During the Battle of Beacon, we managed to evacuate 60% of the approximately 450,000 residents of Vale to the Bastion. Of the remaining 180,000, approximately 5,490 were confirmed dead, 3,245 were missing as of the end of the battle, and the remainder had been evacuated to shelters in Vale. The Aurora had, before it's destruction, destroyed approximately 28% of the city, including a number of shelters. A number of other shelters were destroyed by its debris or collapsed during the night while we were organizing search and recovery teams. Counting those within the shelters, we can now confirm that 15,893 of Vale's citizens were killed in the battle, an equal mix of faunus and humans… However, more pressing is that we still have only accounted for 163,870 of the 164,107 Valian citizens that _should_ be on the ground…" The Imperator's shoulders sagged. "Of these 237 people still missing… only thirteen are faunus…"

"What the hell do you mean there's still over two hundred people missing? Are you suggesting they'd just _leave_?!" Richard growled out, slamming a fist on what was probably a desk.

Aurelius let out a sigh, clasping his hands in front of him and glaring at the table for a moment before Blake spoke up. "Considering Adam was leading the attack…" she looked down as everyone looked at her. "It's possible that… the White Fang took the missing people with them when they left. Before I left the White Fang, Adam made it clear that he doesn't really like humanity. After what happened during the Battle of Beacon, it might be that he really thinks humanity is so far below the faunus that they need to be either wiped out or kept under the boot of the faunus… He might have decided that anyone the White Fang found would be either taken with them or killed."

A grim expression crossed Qrow's face. "Are you sure, kid?" he asked, getting a nod from Blake before Roman spoke up.

"The idiot that was leading the White Fang hijacking the Aurora did say something like that, now that I think about it…" he muttered.

"It'd make sense. When Yang and I fought him at Beacon, he seemed to think that humanity _had_ to belong to the faunus for us to survive…" Blake said, looking away after a moment.

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh. "So, I assume he would have to report in to Sienna Khan after this?" Blake went to speak up before Summer interrupted.

"Wait, Sienna's leading the White Fang?" she asked getting a nod from Blake. The Green Rose sank into her chair, a disturbed look on her face. "Sienna couldn't have anything to do with this…" The other occupants of the room looked at her strangely. "I ran into her during one of the two times Team STRQ was involved in the Vytal Festival since she was on a team with one of my cousins. Back then I was pretty serious about calling for equality between humans and faunus, and she was a member of the White Fang who wanted to help people. Our teams fought against each other and we talked for a while, eventually becoming good friends… We might not have agreed on exactly what needed to be done, but I _know_ she wouldn't willingly allow this much bloodshed, let alone call it a victory for the cause of equality…"

Aurelius ran a hand through his hair. "After this, I doubt many people are going to want equality. They're going to want _blood_ and I don't think-"

"Actually…" Ironwood said with a sigh, causing the room to look at him. "I'm afraid to say they already _do_ …" Ironwood went to tap something on a terminal, causing Roman to stand up.

"Damn, sorry guys, I just realized I promised I'd take Neo to the park today. C'mon Neo…" he said, tugging the girl up.

"No, you didn't," she said in confusion.

"Neo, just… c'mon, I think you'll like the park better than this dusty room…" he said. _"Especially if my gut's right…"_

Neo hummed and went to follow the man, the doors closing just as a series of pictures flashed onto the screens. The two teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training paled as they saw a series of gruesome murders of faunus. Pyrrha covered her mouth when she realized that a number of the faunus had their ears, antlers, or tails cut off. "Who… who would do something so _horrible_ to another person?" Pyrrha asked while Jaune tried not to throw up.

"From what we can tell, they're calling themselves the Human Primacy Front and they've carried out a number of brutal attacks here in Atlas since Weiss' concert. It seems that Jacques' PR campaign regarding that incident and everything since the Battle of Beacon has worked the most xenophobic and racist members of the Atlesian population into a frenzy. Much of the Atlesian military has been deployed to police Atlas and Mantle to contain the situation, but as you can see…" Ironwood gestured vaguely. "It isn't doing anything."

Winter watched Aurelius' expression darken. "We can't risk either the HPF and the White Fang establishing a presence in Bastion," he grumbled before Janus. "Ensure that our forces understand that any acts of hostility between humans and faunus in _either_ direction is to be treated as seriously as possible. The last thing we need is for the HPF to get into Bastion and incite violence that'd lead to increased support for the White Fang, or vice versa. All it takes is one incident in the wrong spot and we might not be able to keep Bastion in the air." Janus nodded before going to leave the room. "We need to find a way to pacify the White Fang and the HPF. I'd like to suggest that, at this point, a reward will be given for any information that leads to the ringleaders of the Human Primacy Front or Adam Taurus and his lieutenants in the White Fang."

Ironwood, Richard, and the Vacuan Councilwoman nodded quickly before the Valian Councilor spoke up. "I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to agree to anything without Colvin's approval. I can at least inform him of the proposal and recent developments."

Aurelius frowned and scoffed slightly. _"Typical…"_ He glanced around the room. "The other solution we have is to determine a way to pacify the White Fang. We don't need them to completely turn to pacifism and nonviolence overnight, but if the White Fang's leadership are willing to show that they are just as against recent events as we are and reduce their attacks, if not outright shun Adam Taurus, it might be enough to take some bite out their more aggressive members long enough to stabilize the situation. On top of that, we need a way to show that neither Adam's brutality or the HPF's senseless slaughter will sway us from supporting equality between humanity and the faunus."

Yang tore her gaze away from the screens to look at the Blue Rose. "What about helping make Menagerie a better place to live?" she asked, getting Blake's attention. "There has to be _something_ that you can do, right?"

Aurelius hummed. "Irrigation, fertilization, clearing out the hostile wildlife, constructing a proper city and infrastructure… It would be an immense undertaking, but I think a strong alliance and enough resources might make it possible eventually. The formation of a new, proper kingdom for the faunus and the promise of eventually turning desert into lush grassland would be a powerful message indeed. The only problem is the lack of a connection to the CCT network, which means we'd need someone to provide an introduction or that wouldn't be thrown off the island immediately…"

Blake let out a sigh before Yang wrapped an arm around the cat faunus, causing her to jump slightly. "Blake and I can do that! I want to actually see Menagerie anyways, so it'll be perfect!" Yang said with a grin before looking at Blake. "Right, kitten?"

Blake blushed and looked away with a meek smile. "I… I think we could do that…"

Summer smiled at the couple before glancing at Aurelius. "It might be dangerous, but perhaps I could try to get in contact with Sienna again. She might be more receptive to a familiar face and it'd help soften the blow from learning about the HPF forming."

Aurelius let out a frustrated sigh, glancing at the screens. "I can't prevent you from leaving, but I can ask you to be careful if you do decide to do that and try to keep in contact when you can do so safely." The Green Rose nodded before Aurelius glanced at Adrienne. "Adrienne, I'm sure you know that Sanctuary and Atlas have agreed to an exchange of representatives to ease communication. In this case, with the information I have, I feel that you would be the best option if you went to represent our interests."

The Orange Rose hummed before nodding. "Alright, Grandpa Auri, I won't let you down."

The Blue Rose let out a sigh and looked around the room. "We will discuss the rest at a later date, for now… I think we all need some time to think about what we've seen. Most likely, we will be sending a few people to Mistral to help with the situation there in a few months as well. Now then, everyone is dismissed, go try to enjoy the rest of the day…" Aurelius watched as the room emptied, the screens going blank.

Winter stood up and walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you… Alright?" she asked, concern in her voice.

Aurelius ran a hand down the side of his face. "I'm not even sure anymore… I've always hated dealing with the knowledge that I couldn't save everyone, struggling to remember that it's impossible to do so when my heart always makes me feel like I could have tried so much harder to save the people that were lost…" He looked up at the ceiling. "In this case, I know there wasn't anything more I could do, no more preparations I could make short of knowing where everyone would be at every moment, but it still somehow feels like a failure to me…"

Winter let out a quiet sigh before smiling at him. "The fact that there are still people alive to mourn and rebuild is a triumph, Aurelius… How about we go back to your office and I make you some tea?"

The wolf faunus looked at her, a tired smile on his face. "Perhaps that'd be for the best…" he muttered before the two quietly left the room.

 **I'm sorry that this chapter so much longer to write, but a mix of writer's block and real life dragging me away from my writing whenever I was starting to figure out where I wanted this to be led to extremely slow progress. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for it next week with at least 3 chapters, but I know for a fact I'll be losing several hours of potential writing time tomorrow and at least four hours on Saturday, so I don't expect to have much progress on a chapter until 2-3 days from now.**

 **The Human Primacy Front (HPF) is more or less a group that's taken the attack on Beacon and Vale as proof that the faunus pose an existential threat to humanity and, as a result, are unwilling to consider standing on equal footing with them. To the HPF, faunus need to be either wiped out or enslaved to protect human existence and freedom. The HPF is very much the exact opposite of _Adam's_ White Fang, while the White Fang under Sienna's and Ghira's leadership, as well as the Order of the Blue Rose, all support equality through different means. (Sienna through fear, Ghira though protests, and the Rose family/Order of the Blue Rose though direct cooperation between humans and faunus)**

 **I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter overall. Please let me know how you feel.**


	58. Chapter 58: Lament

**This chapter is going to be another dark one. Not like the last one, but actually discussing things in a bit more detail. Also, there's going to be a bit of new formatting in this. Anything bold in quotes is supposed to represent that whatever said it is demonic/Grimm in appearance or just a being of malice.**

 **Splatterpxnk- I'm glad you liked Neo in this chapter. My goal is to have her act closer to her age (probably 1-2 years younger than Ruby) when she doesn't need to be serious. As for the White Fang's response to the HPF, it depends who you look at. Anyone who holds Adam to be a hero will look at it as justification for increased aggression, while a number of others that took two of the Rose family's teachings to heart will come to realize that there's an inescapable truth behind the Rose family's warnings and that the HPF's existence and actions are what they should have come to expect as time went on.**

 **Chapter 58: Lament**

 **Ancient Draconys, Badlands**

 _A white-cloaked figured knelt down as he stared at the field of corpses in front of him. A look of disgust crossed his face as his silver eyes swept across the blasted plains and burned buildings. Each body was stripped bare, the skin removed to reveal muscle. As he stepped forward, he tried to avoid glancing down; even with the dark miasmic clouds drifting overhead blocking out most of the light, he could see the scraps of skin littering the ground and knew that he was stepping on more than a few. He cautiously adjusted the grip on his longsword, a blade decorated with engravings of branches, vines, and various flowers, as he stepped across the bloodsoaked land._ "Another village destroyed…" _he thought bitterly as he continued along the path, stopping at the sight of a woman's body._

 _Like all the others, the skin had been removed from her to leave muscle and sinew exposed, but it was tucked inward as if she had tried to curl into a ball. The man's eyes widened slightly at the realization of the true cruelty of the situation._ "She wasn't dead when it happened…" _He leaned forward, heaving as his stomach was emptied, using his sword for support. Once he was done, the man stood upright shakily, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his coat. A boom overhead caused his gaze to turn skyward as a dark, black liquid fell from the sky, causing smoke and steam to rise from the corpses. The man watched sadly as any flesh the Miasmic Rain touched started to decay and melt slowly before he turned back to the path, his pace quickening._

 _Even if he wasn't on a hunt, there wasn't anything he could do for these people. By the time he finished digging the graves, there wouldn't be enough left to bury… By the time he finished digging the graves, there wouldn't even be a sign of the small village or any evidence that it had ever existed._

 _As he continued walking, the man was torn, unsure if his immunity to the Miasma was a blessing or a curse as he wandered through the hellscape his prey called home. Eventually he reached the lone mountain in the area, a black, monolithic tower of jagged cliffs with a cave leading to its heart. He walked down the tunnel quietly, eyes shining brightly enough to illuminate the path ahead of him. After several minutes, he entered into a large chamber. The rocks rose from the ground like fangs, reaching up to the exposed sky. He couldn't see to the other side of the chamber, causing him to growl. "Apollyon!" he roared. "I know you're here! Show yourself!"_

 _A deep, booming laugh came from behind him, causing him to spin around as a giant creature dropped down from a ledge over the entrance. The black creature was the size of an Ursa, its torso, head, and legs covered in white plates with batlike wings sprouting from its back. A pair of horns sprouted from its temples, curling around its ears and ending beside its jaw. It flexed its clawed hands as it stood upright, glaring at the man with blood-red eyes._ _ **"Ah, Aurelius. I was wondering when you would come to visit me,"**_ _the creature snarled, its mouth twisting into a cruel smile._ _ **"Have you come to admire my handiwork in the field outside? Or do you have the audacity to try to end me the same way you destroyed the others?"**_

 _Aurelius tightened his grip on his sword. "You've become nothing more than a monster, Apollyon. It's too dangerous to let you continue to exist. Even if it means my destruction, I will end you!"_

 _Apollyon let out a booming laugh as flames engulfed it._ _ **"Do you really think you can end me? This world is**_ **mine!** _ **It was always meant to be mine and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Accept the inevitable, worm!"**_ _The creature let out a booming laugh as it swung its flaming talons at the man, causing him to jump over it. He let out a tired sigh as he glanced over his foe, shoulders sagging. It was going to be a long fight._

 **Modern Times, Bastion, Citadel Training Grounds**

Yang let out a growl as she charged forward, swinging her fist at Neo. The smaller girl smiled playfully as she gracefully ducked under the punch, making a thrust with her umbrella and forcing it open to push the blonde away. "Why do you make it so easy to hit you?" Neo asked innocently, causing Yang's eyes to turn red.

"I'm not doing anything! Just stand still and let me punch you!" Yang yelled before taking a swing at the girl, causing her to sidestep the punch. The blonde glared at Neo and let her semblance flare, covering herself in flames as she slammed her fist into the younger girl, frowning when she shattered. _"Damn, it was an illusion…"_ she growled before a foot hit her in the side of the head. Neo leaned on her umbrella and waited for the blonde to stand back up.

"Yeah, you're just standing there and letting me hit you. Wouldn't it help if you tried dodging?" she asked, causing the blonde to blink.

Blake walked over and put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "She has a point…" Blake muttered, causing Yang to sigh.

"I… I know she does…" Yang said, clenching her fist as she channeled Burn energy into the lattice inside. "It just pisses me off is all…" the blonde stopped talking as her arm began shaking, causing her to let out a squeak. After a moment, it stopped, leaving her confused.

"What just happened?" Blake asked.

Yang looked at her prosthetic hand, clenching and unclenching her fist. "I have no idea…" she muttered before channeling more energy into it, causing it to start shaking slightly. "I guess there's a limit to how much power I can put into it. After that, it just starts shaking like hell." A thought crossed her mind and she grinned. _"Oh, I've got to try this on my little kitten!"_

"Do you think we should tell Aurelius?" Blake asked, oblivious to her mate's plans.

"Nope! I'm sure I can handle it perfectly fine!" Yang said with a grin, causing Blake to look at her strangely. The blonde quickly went to change the subject. "How are you handling this crap about the HPF?"

Blake let out a tired sigh, running a hand through her hair. "I think I can understand how Weiss felt when she gave her "all White Fang are monsters" rant now… The thought that something like that happening to me… It's easy to forget just how blind attacks can make people fear for their lives when you're the one on taking part in the attacks and don't want to admit that what you're doing is wrong."

Yang wrapped the cat faunus in a hug. "You never hurt anyone, Blake. You didn't even know the White Fang was doing anything like that… Don't blame yourself for it," she said as Blake rested her head on the blonde's chest. "I just hope they find the people responsible soon… I want to tear them apart right now."

Blake put her head on the blonde's shoulder. "Yang… It's because of them wanting to do the same to the White Fang that made them do what they've done in Atlas. As much as I wish we could do something else, Aurelius is right."

Yang let out a sigh as she stepped back, running a hand through her hair. "That doesn't mean I don't want to strangle whoever's leading these clowns…" she muttered before Blake gave her a peck on the lips.

"How about we go take a walk and take our minds off this?" the cat faunus asked, getting a nod from the blonde.

Neo watched the two leave before turning to Roman. "Dad, what were they taking about?" Roman winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't really know, Neo… How about we go look at one of the arboretums? Maybe we can find something fun," he said, getting a smile from Neo before the girl pulled him along.

 **Rose Quarter, Ruby and Weiss' Residence**

Weiss let out a sigh as she leaned against Ruby. Much of the afternoon after the meeting had been spent training quietly, both sparring and Dust manipulation. Now, however, the two had stopped to rest under the tree in their yard/arboretum. The White Rose looked up at the ceiling before speaking up. "I wonder if the sun's setting outside too…" she muttered, looking at the reds and oranges that colored the artificial sky while the simulated sun was starting to dip below the horizon.

Ruby wrapped an arm around her mate. "Probably…" she said before the two slipped into silence. A minute passed before Ruby spoke up. "Weiss… I'm sorry things aren't going as well as you probably would have liked…" The fox glanced at her in confusion, causing her to elaborate. "You know… Beacon and Vale almost being destroyed, me slipping into a coma almost preventing us from ever getting together, you father disowning you, the HPF showing up after you became a faunus making it more dangerous to be faunus than human…"

Weiss silenced her mate with a kiss, pressing her forehead against the wolf's. "Ruby… We can't change any of that. We fought hard and we saved the people of Vale. We finally got together in spite of the Battle and what happened to you. No matter what anyone says, I refuse to call Jacques my father. I _chose_ to stay in spite of his demands and I'd gladly do it again because I've never been happier than right here. I'd even become a faunus again even if I knew the HPF would be forming because I love how having you as my _mate_ makes me feel." Ruby smiled at the words before nuzzling into her mate's neck, causing her to giggle slightly. "Although… I don't really like the idea of this group running around…"

Ruby let out a sigh. "The Rose family was meant to protect the world from any threat… fighting against humans and faunus isn't something any of us enjoy having to do and all this violence between them… I'm pretty sure it's unthinkable for my ancestors… And we both know who's probably behind it."

Weiss shifted uneasily. "Salem?" she asked getting a nod from Ruby.

"Even if the White Fang and HPF are dealt with, she's still going to be around, causing trouble and doing what she can to get more groups like them to form… The only way to prevent that from happening is to take her out once and for all…" The two sat quietly before Ruby stood up. "C'mon, how about we go make dinner now? We'll worry about it when the time comes." Weiss sighed and nodded before the two got up, heading inside.

 **Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office**

Winter set a cup of tea down in front of Aurelius, getting a grateful smile from the wolf as he took a sip. Janus hummed from his position on the other side of the desk. "Do you think that such a passive approach will work?" she asked hesitantly, getting a look from the Blue Rose. "Do you expect that simply putting out a reward for any information on White Fang and HPF members will improve the situation more than a direct response will?"

He put the cup down with a sigh. "If there was only one such group, I would say no. As it stands, we can't target one group overtly beyond what we've already done without being unable to respond to the other group's actions as effectively. We know the location of the White Fang's base, but Atlas can't aid us in launching an attack against them without leaving the faunus in Mantle and Atlas vulnerable to the HPF's brutality," he said before glancing at Janus. "What are the proposed preparations?"

"Vulcan has evaluated the effectiveness of Bastion's defenses against the Aurora and he isn't too pleased. If either the White Fang or the Human Primacy Front gets ahold of an Aurora-Class cruiser or, gods forbid, the Corona-Class battleship that serves as the heart of their fleet, we would most likely be incapable of defending ourselves beyond using the Aegis again due to the range of the Aurora's spinal lasers," Janus reported, causing Aurelius to tap his fingers on the desk. "Vulcan's solution is that we modify a number of Roc-type craft with greater armor and turret mountings to act as destroyer-sized warships while work is done on designing a dedicated combat ship."

The Blue Rose let out a frustrated sigh. "And once again the tools of peace are turned into weapons of war, their original purpose deemed worthless…" He rubbed his head before looking at the Imperator, not noticing Winter's concerned glance. "Very well… Proceed with this solution." Janus gave a quick salute before opening a rift, stepping through it. Winter bit the inside of her cheek and glanced around, looking for a diversion from the heavy atmosphere of the room.

Her eyes landed on the sword that sat on the desk. It was the first time she had been able to look at the Blue Rose's signature blade. She reached for it hesitantly before grabbing the hilt, lifting it off the table. As her hand brushed over the flat of the blade, she took a moment to admire the detailed engravings of flowers, branches, and vines that decorated it, each line unaffected by the ravages of time. "This is an exquisite blade. I'm curious as to where you obtained it."

Aurelius' gaze softened slightly. "It was a gift from Isolda, my sister," he said quietly, causing Winter to look at him briefly before staring at the blade in surprise. "She was perhaps the only one of our kind besides myself that didn't turn to the cruelty and depravity that the rest of our number came to enjoy. It was from her the concept of snow and ice first arrived in Remnant and she came to cherish the coldest nights of the year for the fact they encouraged people to spend time together and enjoy what they had. Her hair was so white that she almost vanished in a field of snow… After I started hunting down our kind to put a stop to their madness, I took to calling it Luctus, Lament in the modern language, to represent the emotions that drove me to do this. She gave me that blade just a year before she was killed by Apollyon," he finished, a look of disgust on his face.

"Who… or rather, what… is this Apollyon?" Winter asked, dread filling her.

The Blue Rose clasped his hands together. "Apollyon was a creature of true horror and depravity, a being that even the Grimm feared. He existed to dominate and destroy, the entire world his hunting grounds and everything on it his prey," he glanced out the window quietly. "It's from him and his dark influence that humanity learned to fear, to dread, to hate… and to kill. Many of the worst acts a person could inflict on another were created by him. Back then, hunting him down was the hardest battle I'd fought and the first time I came close to death…"

Winter swallowed uneasily. "You speak as if it wasn't some type of Grimm…"

Aurelius' eyes darkened again. "That's because he wasn't… If you'd like to hear, I could perhaps tell you the story." Winter glanced out the window, eyes unfocused for a moment before setting the blade down and sat in front of the Blue Rose. He took another sip and ran a hand along the blade, trying to decide where to start.

 **Sorry for the delay, it was arbitrarily decided earlier this week that we needed to take care of a flea problem where I live and I've had to spend the last week helping get clothes and bedding removed for tomorrow when we spray everything down.**

 **For those wondering, Luctus comes from Latin (as most of the "Ancient Draconian" words do, except for a few exceptions) and means mourning, grief, sorrow, distress, and lamentation. A fitting name for Aurelius' sword considering who and what he was forced to first use it on…**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter.**


	59. Chapter 59: Darkness, Awkward Purchase

**Well, time to continue the story from last chapter. That means there may be dark elements to this chapter. Before we start I wanted to say that I have a few special chapters in mind for this month that I think you might enjoy…**

 **Weiss is going to have a unique shopping trip this chapter as well. No lemons, but there's going to be talking about things related to it.**

 **Muhammad Advul- I plan to have Torchwick doing something else, so that won't quite work. I might have Loki be sent to infiltrate since he's almost literally designed for that kind of thing and it puts him in proximity of the guy everyone seems to love watching him troll.**

 **GrnDrgnzrd- It's a good idea to remember that this story's premise is that events of the past continue to drive events of the future. This chapter and the last one are proof of this.**

 **Splatterpxnk- Grandpa Auri gets a small break in this chapter, but it makes it feel that much worse as a result because of the specifics. Things aren't as cheerful from here on out for him in general…**

 **Chapter 59: The Source of Darkness and Weiss' Awkward Purchase**

 **Bastion Commercial District, with Weiss**

" _I can't believe I'm actually doing this…"_ Weiss thought quietly as she stepped into the store, face red. She glanced around the shop, silently cursing Qrow as her eyes moved over the harnesses, whips, gags, and various other toys and equipment on the wall. _"Ruby, I'm thankful that you're my girlfriend and mate, but your parents are perverts and I can't understand how you could seem so innocent with their genes…"_ She stepped up to the counter where a blonde woman stood.

The woman smiled at the white-cloaked girl. "Oh hey, is this your first time in a place like this?"

Weiss blushed and gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, my girlfriend's father gave us a list of things he _insisted_ we had to try, so we figured it couldn't hurt…" Weiss held out a piece of paper that was being held in her clenched fist as she put it on the counter. "This is what they, um… suggested."

The woman hummed as she looked it over. "Well, you're in luck. With it being the time for the Winter Festival, we do have a few discounts. Have you looked through this list by any chance?" she asked, causing Weiss to shake her head. The woman grinned. "Oh, in that case I think I should inform you that there's one or two items on here that require getting some measurements and I can't actually give you for your girlfriend if she isn't here. I'll explain the rest if you're confused, but for that specific part I'll need to tell you what's required, alright?"

"Um… Okay, thanks," Weiss said meekly, tail twitching behind her nervously. Weiss watched as the woman collected various objects, placing them on the counter and occasionally explaining how to use them safely. Weiss' face became redder with every object until the woman clapped her hands together. The girl let out a sigh before the blonde spoke up.

"Okay! All that's left is to get a few measurements for a harness!" she said cheerfully, causing Weiss to freeze up.

"W-what?"

"Oh, well whoever gave you this list also suggested a few harnesses," the blonde started. "If you don't want them, we can remove them from the list, but I can give you one with silk bands instead of the classic leather. You'd just have to be more careful with it is all…"

Weiss let out a sigh, burying her face in her hands. "Gods, I just want this to be over with… F-fine, I'll get a silk one I guess. It's not like we can't find a use for the material if we never use it after the first time…"

The woman rolled her eyes. "That's the spirit, I guess… Let's go in the back and get you sized up, alright?" Weiss nodded meekly as the woman led her into the back, quickly taking some measurements before prepping a harness, explaining how to put it on comfortably to the beet-red girl. After the woman added the harness and two collars to the collection of items, Weiss quickly paid for them and turned to leave. "Just remember, you need to put the tape over the-" the woman started to call out before Weiss let out a squeak, running out as fast as she could. The blonde giggled to herself. "I love amateurs… They're so fun to tease!"

 **Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office**

Winter placed her cup on the desk and looked out the window, waiting for Aurelius to speak up. "Apollyon is the foe that haunts my dreams the most, even today…" he started, causing Winter to look at him. "He looked like a demon out of your nightmares and could be mistaken for a Grimm… at least when I fought him. He wasn't always like that, though…"

"What do you mean exactly? How could he ever be anything other than a bloodthirsty monster?" Winter asked before Aurelius went silent. She almost thought he wouldn't answer when he finally spoke up.

"For my kind, the Stalwart or Doom-Driven, thought begets form due to every one of us having semblances with transformative aspects. They appear as whatever they wish to be at the time, taking on whatever form suits them, but each had a true spiritual form, one that represented them and revealed everything about them," he started before Winter interrupted.

"Wait, Apollyon was one of your brothers?" she asked, eyes wide.

Aurelius nodded grimly. "In a way. None of us shared any blood, it was more we were all created as a single race of beings. Back before they all went mad, we were a family… Apollyon wasn't his original name, either. Each of us had a name given to us by the brother-gods, a "soul" name, that we only used in private amongst each other, while we each chose a "face" name to use outside our number, except Isolda, who went by the name our creators gave us. Apollyon was originally Julius, the favorite of the gods. He was the first of my brothers and sisters to comprehend that we were meant to do things humans couldn't, and so he gained much of their attention. Isolda, however, was the first to realize that this meant we were meant to be wardens and defenders, keeping the rest of the brothers' creations safe. As a result, the two of them received much of our creators' attention. Isolda always had a warm heart and would spend time with me when I wasn't wandering aimlessly trying to learn as much as I could while the others were instructed by the gods."

Winter frowned. "She cared about you, didn't she?" she asked, getting a nod from the Blue Rose.

"More than she did for the rest of our brothers and sisters. It took me a few years to realize why, but she'd come to be a calming presence for me and I did return her feelings, though nothing ever came of it. It was probably because I was so determined to focus on my purpose. By the time I was able to admit I felt the same way for her, she'd already started a family of her own," he said, before Winter spoke up.

"If Aurelius isn't your true name, what is?"

The Blue Rose smiled weakly. "The name the gods gave me isn't important anymore. I am Aurelius, I have been Aurelius for almost all my existence and that is the only name I will ever need now. As for what my "true" form is, since I assume that's your next question, it's something I prefer to not share. I have only taken on my true, spiritual form once in my entire existence, the rest was spent as a human and, now, a faunus."

Winter nodded. "What was Isolda like beyond that?"

"As I said, she was a kind and gentle soul. Once the gods left, she visited from time to time, making sure that, every year, on the coldest day of winter, she would bring something that the people under my charge needed. Eventually she started to bring gifts for children or various treats to the villagers, sometimes telling stories as well. After the first few years, I decided to raise a small snow fox for her and I'd never seen her without it after that. She was the one who taught me what it meant to care about the people I was meant to protect… but it was also her death that hit me the hardest. One year, when it was time for her arrival, she simply didn't show up. I went down the path that I knew she followed and found Julius, Apollyon, standing above her, knife in hand… He'd killed her, stripped her down, and was in the process of skinning her like some common animal. I never knew if that was all he'd done to her, but… I never cared to find out. He'd killed her and defiled her body and he needed to pay."

Aurelius let out a sigh. "It wasn't until later that I learned he had perfected the "art" on numerous humans before Isolda confronted him. Apparently, what the gods thought was brilliance in understanding his purpose was really pride and delusion. He believed that since we could do things no human could do, that we were superior to them and that the world was meant for us to rule, with humanity existing to serve us and entertain us. I had no choice but to hunt him down, going to places humanity should never think of entering… The depravity of Apollyon was so much worse than anything the White Fang or the HPF could ever come up with on their own, skinning people alive, boiling people in Miasma and watching them slowly disintegrate as they begged to be put out of their misery… I know he even kept a few women for his own "enjoyment" before killing them. In the end, I had no choice but to hunt him and put him down… I suppose it's fitting that Luctus, the blade Isolda crafted for me just the year before, would be the weapon to end her murderer…"

"And what happened to her family?" Winter asked before Aurelius glanced at her.

"It survived… In fact, I believe that you're one of her descendants, though the power contained in her blood has weakened I suppose," he said, causing the woman to go wide-eyed.

Winter took a sip from her tea to process this before she spoke up. "You're certain? You're saying the Schnee family is descended from her?"

"It is. She was the one to give her family that name, the same way I gave my family the name of Rose," he said. "I doubt she'd approve of Jacques, however…"

Winter laughed, a peculiar feeling at the statement. "Most assuredly not given what you've said of her."

Aurelius nodded, looking at the woman in front of him before standing up. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have work that I must finish…" he said, causing Winter to look down sadly. He smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead, causing her to look at him in surprise. "I'll meet you for dinner, alright?"

Winter nodded, a smile on her face. "Of course. I'll see you in a few hours then."

Aurelius watched the woman as she walked out before letting out a tired sigh, thinking back to a day he'd never forget.

 **Ancient Times, Draconys Badlands**

 _Aurelius let out a grunt as he jumped back, Apollyon's talon grazing his chest and scorching a line through his flesh. The cavern around them was littered with craters, cracks, and fissures from the conflict._ _ **"Weakling! Is this all the fight you're able to muster,**_ **Marcus?** _ **Is this all the self-proclaimed defender of humanity is worth?"**_ _he snarled, causing Aurelius to stand up and glare at him._

" _Never call me that. You've lost the right to call me that, Julius!" Aurelius charged forward, slashing at the monstrosity's legs and delivering a cut before jumping out of the way of his tail._

" _ **The gods should have destroyed you the moment they realized you were defective,"**_ _he snarled before slamming his fists into the ground, rupturing the ground and releasing a wave of magma at the white-cloaked individual. He jumped over the flow before a flaming fist slammed into him, sending him flying into the wall with a groan. Aurelius tried to stand up before Apollyon forced him to his knees with a clawed hand._ _ **"I don't understand what they saw in you that made them keep you around. You're almost as useless as Isolda!"**_ _he laughed before getting knocked backwards by a gust of wind. Aurelius stood up, his normally silver eyes a deep blue._

" _I don't care what you say about me…" he growled before exploding into a cloud of white petals, creating a solid mass as large as Apollyon. "But_ _ **nobody says anything against**_ **her!** _ **"**_ _he roared before a series of vines lashed out of the cloud, wrapping around Apollyon's ankles, yanking the beast of his feet. Apollyon growled, igniting himself in blue flames that licked the vines. Aurelius let out a growl before they tightened, forcing the demon to slash the vines. The tendrils retracted into the cloud as it continued to obstruct the being within. Apollyon made a move to charge at the cloud before a sword launched out, stabbing him in the chest. He let out a pained roar as his flesh started to melt, his body shrinking down along with the blade and cloud of petals. Eventually, Aurelius stood over a dark-skinned man, blue eyes glaring hatefully at the lunatic's brown._

 _Apollyon let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe I was wrong… When I look you in the eyes right now, I can tell you really are capable of savagery," he said, causing the other man to recoil. "Just imagine all the carnage you could inflict… The gods really were right about you!"_

 _Aurelius hesitated before his gaze hardened. "We were meant to protect this world, Julius, not destroy it! How could you abandon that and think we could be anything alike?"_

 _The man smiled cruelly. "Keep telling yourself that,_ Marcus. _Beings with our destructive potential could never be meant to exist as protectors… And even if we were, you're the only one left now, alone, to carry out this task you so desperately insist is ours to carry out!"_

 _Aurelius took a calming breath, his eyes closing as he contemplated the other man's words. When his eyes opened, they were once again silver. "Very well… If that's what must be done, I will maintain my Vigil until the end of time, even if I must do so alone… Goodbye, brother," he said, ripping the blade out of his chest as the man let out a howl, his body bursting into flames. Aurelius quickly glanced down at his blade, checking it for any imperfections or damage it may have accumulated from the fight. Once he was satisfied the blade was still intact, he looked on as Apollyon's body crumbled into ash before turning around, heading out of the cave._ "If I'm lucky, I'll be back before the day Isolda always visited… I know she wasn't one to enjoy celebrations for her, but I think it would be nice to have a celebration in her honor…" _he thought quietly. When he returned a tradition would start. For the people of what would become the Kingdom of Sanctuary, this was known as Isolda's Day. Centuries later, to the people of the modern kingdoms, this would be the Winter Festival._

 _Unbeknownst to the man as he left, however, was the small child watching him, fear and hatred within his eyes. A silent oath of revenge was sworn that day… for even the most monstrous of demons could have loved ones._

 **I won't lie, I was suffering through a bit of writer's block for this chapter.**

 **Aurelius' eyes and Apollyon's lack of silver in his are meant to indicate that even the Rose family's iconic eyes are more a result of his choice of form than anything else. Members of his kind, which he calls the "Stalwart," have unique eye colors but their eyes are silver when they're in their Vigil. This caused the silver eyes to be inherited as a base trait by his descendants, but I'm playing with the possibility of them being able to shift their eye colors to a "true" eye color, like how Weiss' were originally blue. If I did have that happen, I'd have to figure out how to decide what color everyone's eyes would be.**

 **The Schnee family being descendants of one of Aurelius' brothers and sisters is something I've been toying with for a while, but it felt like it'd fit here. Someone who's clever might realize this has major implications for Weiss and Winter, however.**

 **Let me know what you guys think. As always any input is appreciated.**


	60. Chapter 60: First Encounters

**I can't believe we're sixty chapters in, this is wild… Also, sorry for this being late, between seeing a movie and a severe panic attack (on top of spending most of the day away from home) I ended up having very little time to finish up this chapter. I'm going to be trying to get another one out within the next 1-3 days to make up for it.**

 **Milthren- I'll try, but that's all I can promise. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**

 **GrnDrgnzrd and muhammad avdul- I'm glad you liked that part of the chapter. And you're more right than you know, GrnDrgnzrd.**

 **Bookah and FrozenButterfly- I'm glad you guys like Aurelius as a character. The next few chapters will probably give a bit more insight into him.**

 **LocusOfControl- I'll try to keep info about the story itself to a minimum in the opening AN, but I prefer to have it for letting people know what's going on that might impact my writing speed or cause me to slow down. Anything related to the content of the chapter will be at the end.**

 **Chapter 60: First Encounters and Contemplation**

 **Ancient Draconys**

 _A regal, white-haired woman let out a sigh as she looked over the fields. Fourteen others wandered around, talking to each other as they waited for Helios and Thanatos to return. Isolda was the youngest of her "family" and had yet to properly meet the rest quite yet. As she glanced around, a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes walked up. "So, you're Isolda, correct?" he asked, getting a nod from the woman. He smiled and gave a slight bow. "I am Julius. Helios and Thanatos have requested that I ensure you meet all of our brothers and sisters."_

" _That is quite thoughtful," she said with a nervous smile. Truth be told, she wasn't quite sure what was expected of her. She followed along quietly, listening as Julius introduced her to each one before going into a long, drawn out conversation. After a while, she started to realize that the rest of the individuals seemed to be more respectful when talking to Julius than when conversing with others. "They seem to hold you in high regard," she commented, not noticing the smug smile on his face._

" _It's only natural. I'm in charge when the gods are gone, so they've come to respect me," he said, a touch of arrogance in his voice. The woman paid it no mind as she continued listening to the discussions. Eventually, she grew bored with the others in the clearing and let her gaze wander along the trees. She stopped when she noticed a small, overgrown path leading into the tree line. She glanced at the rest of the group before heading into the woods. She followed the path before she noticed a white-cloaked figure walking quietly along the trail ahead. "Hello?" she called out, causing the figure to glance back briefly, giving her a view of his blue eyes and black hair with white tips. He hesitated before turning to face her._

" _Hello? Did you need help?" he said, his voice slightly subdued and quiet._

 _Isolda took a moment to look over the man, quickly realizing that he was probably taller than anyone she'd met today. She glanced up, looking in his eyes and noticed that they were softer and warmer than those of the people in the clearing, full of curiosity with a small amount of pain in them._ "He has a gentle, trusting soul," _she thought to herself._ "But what could happen to hurt him emotionally?" _She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized he was shifting uneasily, leaving her embarrassed by her lack of thought. "Forgive me, I just wasn't expecting to see anyone. I was just exploring and wasn't expecting to see anyone out here."_

 _The man let out a tired sigh. "It seems like nobody ever does…"_

 _Isolda frowned. "I apologize. I am Isolda," she said, holding out her hand._

 _The man hesitated for a moment before taking it. "I'm Marcus," he said simply._

 _She smiled at the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Marcus… Forgive me if it's inappropriate to ask, but are you… human?" she asked, wincing internally as the question immediately caused the man to step back, expression and posture suddenly guarded._

" _No, and the fact that you think to ask that means you aren't either. What brings you out beyond their clearing?" he said, distrust in his voice._

 _She hesitated before speaking up. "If you are one of my brothers, why didn't Julius introduce us?"_

 _Marcus let out a sigh. "He most likely decided that nobody would care to know about me. How many of us are there now? Five? Six?" he asked, causing the woman to wince._

" _Counting you and myself, sixteen," she watched the man run a hand through his hair. "How do you not know how many of us there are?"_

 _Marcus' shoulders sagged. "For the same reason Julius wouldn't introduce you to me. Not a single member of our number has had an interest in speaking with me. Simply being around them was too difficult since they insist on acting as though I don't even exist. It was easier to just return to where the gods made me and live alone than it was to stay near our brothers and sisters."_

 _Isolda looked back down the path in the direction she came from, a frown on her face._ "I don't understand why they would have anything against him… There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him," _she thought before turning to face him. "Perhaps you could tell me a bit about yourself?" she asked, causing him to hesitate._

" _Alright…" he said with a sigh before he started walking down the trail, causing Isolda to follow. "As far as I'm aware, I'm the oldest of our number. After the gods created Julius, I spent most of my time being ignored and chose to live out here once they decided to move into the larger clearing. I guess it's just… I enjoy the quiet, I guess."_

 _She frowned. "It must get lonely occasionally…" she mused, getting an empty laugh from her newfound companion._

" _You have no idea…" he muttered. Before Isolda could respond, a voice called out from the direction she came from._

" _Isolda! Helios and Thanatos are back! They wish to meet with all of us," Julius called out._

" _I'll be back in a minute!" she called out before turning to face the cloaked man. "I'll see if it's possible for me to return to speak with you another time. Is that acceptable?"_

 _He looked at her in surprise, a small amount of hope in his eyes. "I'd like some company, actually…" he said, causing Isolda to smile. She turned away, heading down the path. Marcus watched for a moment before turning away, heading back along his journey._

 _As she came around a bend, she found Julius leaning against a tree, arms crossed. "Wandering away from the clearing is ill advised, Isolda," he scolded. "There's creatures in the woods that would be a threat even for you considering how inexperienced you are."_

 _She let out a sigh. "I'm certain that there wasn't anything that would threaten me in this forest," she stated, earning a scoff from Julius._

" _It's my duty to ensure everyone is following the rules, Isolda. You would do well to remember that," he said before walking down the path, leaving the woman confused behind him._

 **Bastion, Modern Day, with Weiss**

Weiss let out a sigh as she continued walking down a street. _"Why did I think this was a good idea… Now I have to carry all this stuff back home… I hope Ruby enjoys this at least…"_ she thought. She glanced up at the simulated sky as she thought about the girl. _"I wonder what she's making for dinner. I can't believe I was so lucky to get someone like her as my mate and girlfriend…"_

The White Rose stopped, a frown on her face. _"Girlfriend… The word almost doesn't feel right any more. We're so much closer than that now. We've fought together, I've seen her almost die, she's seen me at my weakest… She's given me a much better purpose in life than sitting in an office. On top of that, we're mates, so while it might not be official, we're practically married already,"_ she thought before a smile crossed her face. _"I mean… from how Aurelius responded to us being mates, it would be safe to assume it's not illegal in Sanctuary, which is good considering I've never stopped to look into the legality in any of the kingdoms."_ She nodded with a smile before her Scroll went off, causing her to pull it out of her pocket. She smiled gently at the picture of Ruby, eyes closed in a bright grin with her head tilted to the side, appeared on the screen. Weiss answered the call. "Hey Ruby."

"Weiss! Did you get the um…" Ruby started, causing Weiss to blush.

"Yeah… Most of it. There's some stuff you need to go there for us to get," Weiss started as she noticed a nearby jewelry store. "That reminds me, there's one more thing I need before I can come home. I'll see you in a bit, alright?"

Ruby let out a quiet sigh. "Alright, I'll wait for you to get back, okay?"

"Thanks, Ruby. I love you," Weiss said, enjoying the feeling of joy that filled her every time she said those words to Ruby.

"I love you too, Weiss. I'll see you in a bit," Ruby said before Weiss hesitantly ended the call.

She looked up before heading into the jewelry store, stepping up to the counter and waiting for the woman to notice her. "Can you help me pick out an engagement ring, please?" she asked meekly, getting a smile from the woman.

"Sure, we have a few that are quite popular or, if you want, I could help you make a custom ring," the woman said.

Weiss hummed and glanced at the rings, not finding any that really fit. "I suppose a custom ordered one would be best," she muttered.

"I have to say, it's not every day that the girl's the one who proposes."

Weiss laughed. "No matter which of us proposes, it's still going to be that way."

The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh, right, you're Weiss, aren't you? I remember your concert a few weeks back!"

The fox faunus scratched the back of her neck, tail moving meekly behind her. "I see… I hope you're a fan then and not someone that's just going to criticize me for who I pick to be with?"

The woman smiled. "You don't get to pick who you fall in love with. The only thing you have control over is if you act on that love or not." She clapped her hands together. "Alright, let me just get a few things and we can start designing your engagement ring!" Weiss nodded and set her bags down, waiting for the woman to return.

 **Citadel Grounds, with Winter and Aurelius**

Winter let out a sigh as she looked around, admiring the forests around them. "There's something peaceful about this place," she said as they headed towards the nearest entrance to the interior of Bastion.

"When I was much younger, I used to find peace in wandering the forests of Draconys. Now, they just bring up memories of the distant past and people I'll never see again," Aurelius said grimly. "While I might not be able to walk through here without a heavy heart, there's still good memories in the forest this grove was meant to replicate."

Winter smiled sadly. "I suppose that's the issue with immortality, isn't it?" she asked.

"I suppose so. These trees are a reminder of what's been lost and my first failure, but also of my first years of existence," he said as he walked, each step holding confidence.

As they continued walking, Winter decided to speak up. "What was your early existence like, exactly?" she asked.

"It's much easier if I don't think about it. The man that wandered those forests… Everything he cared about died in them and, as far as I'm concerned, he died with them on the same day," Aurelius said calmly.

Winter looked at him in surprise. "I never expected you to sound so cold, Aurelius," she said quietly.

"That's just how it is sometimes. Who I was before doesn't affect anyone alive today. As far as anyone is concerned I've always been Aurelius." Winter went to speak up when they heard a dog whimper and a boy speak up somewhere ahead.

"Come on, Jasper. Dad's going to get help and you'll be fine, alright?" the boy said meekly as the dog whimpered.

Aurelius let out a sigh as he moved forward, tail moving behind him as he walked over, kneeling down next to the boy. "Hello. Do you need help?" he asked, causing the boy to look at him.

"My dog broke his leg," he said with a sniffle. "My dad went to go see if he could find anyone that could help."

"Here, let me see," Aurelius said. The boy looked at him hesitantly before moving to the side, giving the wolf a chance to examine the small pup. The dog let out a whimper before he held up his hand. "I won't hurt you, just relax…" Once the dog was calmed down, Aurelius gently lifted the limb, looking it over. He hummed quietly as his hand started glowing, carefully using his aura to mend the bone and muscle. The dog let out a quiet whine and Aurelius sighed. "Why must you suffer so?" he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice before he let go. "There, good as new." The dog hopped up, walking around a bit before running over to the boy.

Winter squirmed in unease, a sense of déjà vu going through her at the scene. She saw a man approach out of the corner of her eye, forcing her to file it away for later. She glanced at the Blue Rose as he stood up, heading back down the trail without another word to the boy or his father.

 **And this chapter's done for now. The next few chapters will have scenes detailing major events in Aurelius' life prior to the founding of Point Refuge and the Kingdom of Sanctuary, basically "Pre-Sanctuary" Aurelius when the name Marcus could still be used when referring to him. This is mainly because he seems to be a popular character and I felt it would be a good chance to show how he became who he is.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. All input is appreciated.**


	61. Chapter 61: Winter's Rose

**Here we go. Before we start, lemon incoming in the second scene! This is your only warning.**

 **To the guest reviewer- it was mentioned that Qrow and Summer gave Ruby and Weiss a list of "activities" to try out. The list Weiss handed over, as the mention of the harness needing to be measured for her suggests, is a list of things for Ruby and Weiss to try using. Fun times ahead for them.**

 **muhammad avdul- this story could, conceivably, go on for at least 60-70 more chapters at the minimum. I considered splitting it into individual stories for each major arc, but that thought crossed my mind after we passed the point where we could easily split it into a second story, so I didn't feel like it'd be fair for me to remove chapters from this to start it as a sequel.**

 **GrnDrgnzrd- Aurelius' immortality is more a unique twist on a trait the rest of his kind have: while all of them are immune to aging and disease and can, in theory, regrow lost limbs, they can still be killed in battle, as Aurelius' status as the last of his kind shows. Aurelius' immortality prevents him from staying dead so long as there's sapient life (human, faunus, or fellow Stalwart/Doom Driven) alive on Remnant or until the gods decide to return and get rid of him. To him, his own immortality is a burden he can't get rid of and each death of a loved one makes his suffering even worse.**

 **Chapter 61: Winter's Rose**

 **Ancient Draconys**

" _Why must you suffer so?" Isolda heard a familiar voice ask, laced with sadness. She took a quiet step around a bend in the path, blinking in surprise as she saw Marcus knelt down facing away from her. She glanced over his shoulder to see a young wolf, mangled and clearly unable to move. A nearby tree branch told the tale of what happened. "Were you made to be frail? A cruel twist by a sadistic creator?" Isolda went wide-eyed and was about to scold him when he continued. "Or are you like me? Flawed, wanting, created_ wrong _by gods that couldn't be bothered to fix the mistake?" The woman paused, taking this information in._

"Is that why you're forced to live out here alone? Because the gods made some mistake when they created you and didn't want to fix it?" _she thought, a feeling of sorrow filling her. She didn't know much about Marcus, but she could tell he was a compassionate soul. The thought that there could be something so wrong with him that neither of the gods could even be concerned by his absence left a bitter taste in her mouth. She silently swore that, no matter what, she would never forget the scene in front of her._

 _Marcus let out a sigh as his hand started to glow, gently placing it on the young pup's side. Isolda watched in amazement as broken bones, torn muscles, and crushed organs were reshaped and mended. "I suppose the reason doesn't matter. You will live through this," he said, a bit of cheer entering his voice as he finished, the wolf pup slowly standing up and walking around. It looked over his shoulder at Isolda, causing the white-cloaked man to glance backwards. "Isolda?" Isolda let out a squeak at the realization that she'd been caught and took a step back._

" _Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I just…" Whatever she was going to say died in her throat at the gentle smile on his face._

" _I… I honestly wasn't expecting to see you again. How are you?" Marcus asked happily as he stood up, the wolf sitting down next to him._

" _I am… well, I suppose," Isolda answered. "I apologize that I wasn't able to find time to meet with you earlier." She had honestly felt bad since this was the first chance she'd had to meet with him since first finding him a week ago._

" _It's fine… You're the first one to willingly speak to me more than once, so I'm thankful for that," Marcus said._

 _Isolda bit her lip. While the rest of their kind seemed to only be interested in pleasantries that they could benefit from, such as Julius losing interest in a conversation he couldn't be in charge of or where he wasn't shown a certain amount of respect, Marcus was clearly content to simply have someone to talk to and wanted to talk to her. "It's a shame that you have to live out here alone," she said, trying to focus on something different._

 _He shrugged. "Technically I'm not alone. They might not talk, but…" he knelt down to scratch behind the wolf's ears. "The various creatures here in the forest keep me company. I try my best to take care of them when they need it in turn, so they've come to feel safe in the area around the clearing I live in. But yes, I do get lonely with nobody to talk to."_

 _Isolda smiled gently. "Perhaps you could show me this clearing?" she asked, getting a smile from Marcus._

" _Of course. I'd be happy to show you my home," he said as he turned around, walking down the small trail._

 _Isolda smiled as she watched the wolf pup follow him. "I can see what you mean about them feeling safe around you," she said, causing Marcus to glance at her with a smile._

" _I'm glad he's sticking around. I like wolves personally. Whenever one gets isolated from their pack, they usually end up spending time with me until they find it again."_

" _I can understand why, they probably prefer companionship over being on their own," Isolda said, wincing at the frown that crossed Marcus' face._

" _Yeah, I guess that's what I am, isn't it? I'm just a wolf without a pack…" he said sadly._

 _Isolda frowned, a strange feeling in her chest. "Nonsense. You have a pack… even if it's just me," she said with a meek smile._

 _Marcus smiled at her as he continued walking. "Two people don't make a pack…" he said before looking at her. "But it's definitely good company."_

" _I agree, it's much more enjoyable than spending time with the others," Isolda said with a calm nod._

 _Marcus shifted slightly. "What are they like? I've only spoken with maybe three of them besides you," he asked._

 _She let out a sigh. "They're… difficult to deal with. Julius seems to enjoy having all attention on himself and prefers when the person he's talking to spends their time admiring him and won't talk to anyone else otherwise unless he has to. He always tries to make himself look better than he is as well."_

 _Marcus sighed. "Sounds about right. I swear if I ever have to deal with anyone else like him I'll probably go insane."_

" _It would be disappointing if that were the case," Isolda said, a hint of amusement in her voice._

" _I guess so… Just don't expect me to go anywhere near them," Marcus muttered before stepping into a clearing._

 _Isolda looked around in surprise at the small glade. Unlike the clearing the rest of their number resided in, Marcus' looked more natural. The grass was longer, brushing past her ankles, while the small single-room shack rested near a large oak tree that stood in the center of the clearing like a silent protector. A few deer glanced up briefly before approaching, quietly inspecting the newcomer. Isolda smiled. "This is beautiful," she muttered as she noticed the small garden. She knelt down to pet a small fox that had wandered over._

" _I'm glad you feel that way. It's not as impressive as what I expect to be in the larger clearing, but it's served me well," Marcus said, bringing a subtle frown to her face. It was true, after all. Everyone had a house of their own, the grass was short, evenly cut, and the trees were cleared to make sure nothing got too close to the houses. Much like their personalities, their homes were unapologetically artificial._

" _I suppose so… But it's much more appealing, I believe," she said. She went to sit under the tree and took a deep breath, admiring the scenery as the fox curled up in her lap before Marcus sat next to her. After a moment, the two started talking quietly about anything. Isolda noticed the warm smile on his face and felt her heart skip a beat. She made him happy… and, for some reason, this made her feel amazing._

 **Modern Day, Bastion, Rose Quarter, with Aurelius and Winter**

Aurelius let out a sigh as he walked down the street, Winter following behind. "Something's been bothering you. What's the matter?" he asked, glancing at the white-haired woman.

She let out a sigh. "They way you talk, the way you look at things… you act as if you're cursed," she said sadly.

He hummed before shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose in a way I am. There's always bad memories that spring up when I think about those I cared for. I've come to expect that whenever I try to get close to someone, I'm more likely to be left with bad memories than good."

Winter frowned before taking a breath. "Perhaps we should try to make a few good memories, then," she said with a subtle blush, causing the Blue Rose to glance at her with a chuckle.

"Are you honestly asking to spend the night with me, Winter?" he asked, grinning as her blush flared up. He stopped at one of the residences, opening the door and gesturing inside.

Winter walked in nervously, glancing around the room. Unlike his office, it was sparsely decorated, containing a table, a couch, a few chairs, and a few landscape paintings. As she looked around, she couldn't help but feel that the simpler layout suited him. She looked at the staircase, blushing when she realized Aurelius was watching her. She took a deep breath before walking over, planting a kiss on his lips. The wolf smiled before gently leading the woman upstairs, opening the door to a simple bedroom, the large window overlooking a small glade. "You like forests, don't you?" she muttered to herself.

"I suppose… are you sure you want to do this?" Aurelius asked as he stepped behind her.

She took a deep breath before turning around, answering by locking her lips with his. After a moment she pulled away, a blush on her cheeks. "I'm certain… I think we'd both prefer if we enjoyed ourselves for once…"

Aurelius let out a sigh as he removed his cloak, carefully folding it up and putting it to the side. After this, he stepped forward, quickly undoing Winter's coat and gently pulling it off her before removing his own, looking at her as she blushed. She stepped forward and gave him a kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She let out a gasp as his hands went to her rear and broke away. She bit her lip as she slid her pants down, Aurelius following suit before removing his shirt. She recaptured his lips as he pulled her over to the bed, gently removing their underwear before laying her on the bed. He gently removed her bra and panties before gently squeezing her breast.

Winter let out a squeak at the unexpected contact, blushing as he brought his mouth to the other mound, sucking on the nub while pinching its counterpart. He smirked as the woman squealed under him, squirming at his touch. She jumped slightly as his other hand landed on her thigh, slowly inching its way up her leg. She felt her breath hitch as it brushed against her core. He pulled away from her to remove his boxers, causing her to blush brightly. "T-that's going inside me?" she asked meekly, looking at his length.

He leaned forward, giving her a gentle kiss. "Only if you want to do this, and I promise I'll be gentle," he muttered quietly.

She closed her eyes for a moment, steeling her nerves before nodding meekly. "A-alright…" she muttered before taking a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Aurelius lined himself up and slowly pushed into the white-haired woman, eliciting a gasp from her as she closed her eyes. He pushed in deeper before he came to a barrier. "Are you certain about this?" he asked, getting a nod before he gave her a quick kiss, pushing through.

Winter let out a pained cry as she felt the barrier tear, fingers clawing at his back. He winced slightly but didn't otherwise show any pain as the torn skin healed. He placed a hand on her stomach, channeling his aura into her body to soothe her pain as her trembling died down. After a moment she looked up at him in confusion. "W-what did you…"

"I don't want you to suffer from this," he muttered quietly. "Let me know when you're ready." Winter squirmed under him briefly, attempting to become accustomed to the sensation before nodding nervously. She sucked in a lungful of air as Aurelius pushed in more, face red in embarrassment. Once he was in all the way, he started moving as his lips found their way to the woman's neck. Winter let out a quiet, meek moan at the feeling, knowing that at any other time she would be mortified by the sounds she was starting to make but not able to find it in herself to care at this moment.

They continued at a steady pace, Aurelius taking his time to let Winter get used to it. Her breath hitched as he gently bit the skin on her neck, moaning out slightly as she started to find it enjoyable. "You can move faster…" she mutter meekly before he started moving faster, causing her to moan louder. After a few minutes she let out a whimper. "A-Aurelius, I'm…"

The wolf smiled gently. "Go ahead, Winter. Let it out," he said before he thrust into her one last time, shooting his load into her with a grunt. Winter went wide-eyed as she moaned loudly, cumming hard.

Winter panted beneath him for a moment before her eyes widened. _"He just…"_ "Aurelius, what if I-"

"You won't get pregnant, Winter. Not if we both don't want it," he muttered as he rested his forehead against hers. "One of the perks of being able to change forms is being able to decide if you're actually able to impregnate someone." Winter blushed as he pulled out, laying next to her.

After a moment, she moved over, resting her head on his chest. "I see… Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

Aurelius smiled, giving her a gentle kiss on the head. "Of course. My home is always open to you," he muttered before pulling the covers over them and wrapping his arms around the woman. She let out a content sigh, smiling as her eyes closed.

" _I don't know why, but now I feel… complete."_

 **Bastion Commercial District, with Weiss**

"Okay, we've got it finished for you!" the woman said cheerfully, placing the small box on the counter. Weiss opened it with a smile, admiring the ring. She'd decided to have it made out of gold, with emeralds wrapping around it like vines toward the main attraction, a collection of rubies in various settings, all arranged in the shape of the Rose family crest. "I'm surprised rubies were your first choice and not diamonds."

Weiss looked up. "Clear diamonds wouldn't work for this. I wanted the gemstones to be red and, well…" Weiss winced. " _Red_ diamonds aren't exactly in my price range." _"If I was still heiress, maybe, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to be heiress again. I'd have to give up everything I cared about and even then I might not get the title back… No, I'm glad I gave up my old life. I have Ruby and that's all that matters."_ She quickly closed the box and pulled out her bank card. "Here you go," she said, handing it to the woman. Once she received it, the fox quickly put her card away before putting the box in her pocket. With a happy sigh, she grabbed her bags and started home.

 **I have no idea why, but this chapter was trickier to write than I expected it to be. The next chapter, however, will hopefully be a special Christmas chapter since it's the Winter Festival.**


	62. Chapter 62: Isolda's Day, Part One

**I'm so sorry this took so long. Seasonal depression is a cruel foe… This chapter was meant to be posted on Christmas as the events for the "Winter Festival," Remnant's version of Christmas. The next few will follow the theme since there's going to be a lot happening on what's supposed to be a single day.**

 **The 0bservanc3- I** _ **think**_ **I covered this? I'm not sure… Regardless, for the second point I've decided that I'll minimize what I share in ANs. Most likely they'll be limited to either answering questions on things from earlier in the story or minor details that don't actually play a major part, meaning anything that could give away a plot point will be kept unsaid. As for your sixth thought, I have to admit I actually** _ **haven't**_ **watched Volume 5 beyond the first (and maybe second) episode as of posting this chapter on March 24th. I think in our conversation you asked about the Relics and, while I can't say if they'll appear in the story, they won't be as the "hidden away under the Huntsmen Academies" things from canon. As for the fourth point, as explained there's still a reason why Remnant is the way it is, but it's not tied to it being potentially some future Earth. Remnant is a unique place and it earned its name. The existence of the Badlands of Draconys, something that Aurelius has already been stated to have wandered through before he became the Blue Rose or even before the first city of Sanctuary was established can be taken as a hint that something** _ **very**_ **bad happened to Remnant in the past.**

 **FrozenButterfly- The way it would work means that it couldn't happen accidentally. In fact, it could even require that someone with the skill of a Dust Sage (Aurelius, Adrienne, or one of the duo or Winter when one of them gets the required proficiency for it) to actually set up.**

 **Yurippe15- That's going to come up next chapter and there's going to be a bit of training with Summer involved, don't worry.**

 **Chapter 62: Isolda's Day: Recollections**

 **Ancient Draconys**

 _Isolda let out a sigh as she wandered back down the path. As much as she enjoyed spending time in Marcus' glade, she eventually had to return to the others. His residence, much to her surprise, was a small, one room cabin that was unsuitable for two people, which dashed her hopes of exploring more of the forests surrounding the clearing. She quickly discovered that Aurelius knew just about everything about the nearby woods, something that surprised her, but he quickly explained that it was one of his gifts to the world. "Whenever one of us is created, we often bring something into existence," he said to her before she left. "For me, it was the trees, bushes, and other large plants. Soon, you will bring something into being as well." She looked up at the trees, admiring the leaves as she walked, shading her from the sun above._

 _She was drawn out of her thoughts by movement in a nearby bush. A smile crossed her face as she saw the young fox from the clearing move out of the foliage before she knelt to pet its head. Its eyes closed as it leaned in to the touch. "Hello little one…" she muttered with a smile. The small fox had followed her around the clearing and she'd come to enjoy its presence. She stood up and watched it run down the path. She continued along, following at a relaxed pace. As she continued along the trail, she heard it cry out. Frowning, she quickened her pace as she approached the bend the kit had gone around. As she walked around the bend, she let out a shocked gasp. Crouched in front of her, dagger plunged into the small animal's side, was Julius. "What are you doing?!" she yelled, a look of shock on her face._

 _Julius looked up, annoyance clear on his face. "I'm hunting, what does it look like?"_

" _We have plenty of food! You didn't need to kill him!" she said before the man laughed._

" _Oh, I'm not killing this one for meat. I want its fur for something," he said, causing her to look at him in shock._

" _What could possibly be so important that you'd have to kill that little fox for its_ fur, _Julius?" she asked, tearing up slightly._

 _He scoffed. "why does it matter to you? It's just an animal meant to be hunted by others for their benefit. It doesn't matter if it's for food or fur," he quickly carved a line down the fox's side and started removing the hide. "They're stupid animals. That's all they are, and that's all they'll ever be, do you understand? If not, you should just go back to hiding in the damn woods."_

 _She took a step back, looking at the small animal, knowing the trust that Marcus had built in the creatures around his home had been exploited for the selfish benefit of others. She spun around and ran back the way she came. When she returned to the clearing, Marcus glanced up from what he was doing. "Isolda, is something wro-" he started before the woman latched onto him, letting out a sob. He calmly wrapped his arms around her as she tried to talk. "Just take your time. I'll be here when you're ready," he muttered quietly as he waited for her to recover._

 **Bastion, Rose Quarter, Aurelius' residence**

" _What a strange dream,"_ Winter thought as she stirred from her sleep. She rubbed her head as she propped herself up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her gaze refocused on a pair of silver eyes before the memories of the previous night returned to her. She smiled slightly at the feeling of a hand rubbing her back. "Good morning," she muttered, a strange feeling of completion filling her.

Aurelius smiled down at her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, looking more relaxed than Winter had ever seen him.

"I did," she started before blushing. "Thank you for… last night," she finished quickly. She lowered herself back to his chest, closing her eyes as she listened to his breathing for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"You look like something's bothering you… do you want to share?" he asked after a moment.

Winter let out a sigh. "No, just a dream," she muttered. "As enjoyable as this is… I feel we need to get up at some point." She hesitantly got up, heading for the bathroom. After a quick shower, she stopped to look in the mirror, rubbing her head as a headache set in. _"What was that dream even about? Why would I be so disturbed and upset by a fox dying?"_ she thought to herself. She glanced back up at the mirror and staggered back briefly at the pools of silver that had replaced her normally blue eyes. "W-what-" she muttered before the headache turned into a migrane.

 **Ancient Draconys**

 _Isolda let out a yawn as she woke up, rubbing her eyes. After a moment she paused in confusion at the bed under her._ "I don't remember… I was in the woods, so how am I…" _she thought before looking around, noticing the small room she found herself in as a feeling of guilt filled her._ "Did I fall asleep during that? How long was I asleep?" _She let out a sigh before standing up, heading to the door. As she stepped out, she let out a sigh at the sun near the horizon in the east._ "So, I made him give up his bed because of that…" _As she looked around, she saw him crouched down, carefully pulling small grass and weeds out of the ground nearby. "Marcus…" she started, causing him to look over his shoulder before standing up. "I-I'm sorry about taking your bed…"_

 _The man stood up, brushing the dirt off his hands and pants as he turned to face her. "Isolda, don't worry about it. You needed it more than I did, and I'd be a poor host if I made you sleep outside or on the ground after you were so upset," he said before pausing. "How… are you, by the way?"_

 _Isolda let out a sigh. She had to admit that part of her felt like this was just an overreaction as she recounted what happened. "I just… I can't believe someone can be that cruel heartless…" she muttered as she mentioned the fox getting killed._

 _Marcus let out a sigh, rubbing his jaw as he glared in the general direction of the larger clearing. "We were made to eat plants, animals, or both… Julius, strangely, insists on only eating meat. Even I have a bit from time to time, but I'm usually more selective in what ones I pick so that none of them die out completely. Still… I have an agreement that the others can hunt for food in the woods if they need to."_

" _I-I know that, but he wasn't killing it for food. All he wanted was the fur… That fox spent hours following me around while I was here, and I let it sit in my lap…" Isolda started before Marcus looked at her in surprise._

" _Just the fur? Nothing else?" he asked, causing the woman to shake her head nervously. He let out a frustrated growl as he walked over to the small cabin, grabbing his cloak of the ground and quickly putting it on._

 _Isolda blinked in confusion as she watched him wander down the path. "Wait, where are you going?" she asked as she started following the man, pausing when he looked back._

" _I want to see this for myself…" the man muttered as he continued down the path, Isolda in tow._

 _After a moment's hesitation, the woman decided to speak up. "So, the others can only hunt for food according to your arrangement?"_

 _Marcus shook his head as he stepped over a tree root growing out of the ground. "No, the agreement is that if they hunt, it has to be only because they need to or when they intend to use as much of what they kill as possible. I know at least one of the others has carved a few trinkets out of bones after a kill and took the fur, so I trusted that they respected this agreement."_

 _Isolda took a moment to think about this. "You think that this isn't the first time, then?" she asked, causing the man to shake his head._

" _No, and I doubt it'll be the last…" he muttered as he came around the bend. Isolda let out a sad sigh as she saw the skinned fox sitting in the middle of the path where Julius had left it. "…And I also believe it was agreed_ nobody _would hunt this close to my home." He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a sad sigh behind him, causing him to growl before getting up, continuing along the path. "Julius has done more than enough to anger me today…"_

 **Modern day, Bastion, In the bathroom with Winter**

Winter let out a gasp as she stepped back, looking on in confusion as her eyes went back to their normal blue. She shook her head and gave a weak laugh as she leaned forward. _"I-I'm just… I'm just imagining things… That must be it, the last few weeks have just left me drained and my mind is wandering…"_ she thought to herself before looking back into the mirror with a frown. Seemingly from some long-forgotten instinct, her eyes shifted to silver briefly before returning to their blue. _"…right?"_ She took an uneasy step back before getting dressed, stepping out to find Aurelius holding Luctus. She blinked in surprise as she realized the blade was split into various plates, not having time to notice anything about what was within as they closed, leaving the blade appearing a single flawless piece of metal. _"perhaps he combined it with the rifle he used as Bisman?"_ she thought, pushing back the slight pang of something she felt at the knowledge the blade was modified

"Is something wrong, Winter?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You look… disturbed."

She blinked and rubbed her forehead with a sigh. "I'm fine… The events since the attack on Vale have been… tiring," she said, getting a slow nod from the Blue Rose.

"If you say so…" he muttered, causing the woman to spin to face him.

"Are you implying that I'm being insincere?" she growled, causing the wolf to raise his hands cautiously.

"No, I wasn't. I was merely trying to suggest that perhaps there's something that's troubling you," he said quickly.

Winter pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed. "Is there something else we could talk about instead?" she asked.

Aurelius nodded. "Yes, actually. It seems Ruby's asked Tai to organize a party for the Winter Festival and he's asked me to help set everything up," he said, causing the woman to raise an eyebrow.

"She asked Tai to handle it instead of Qrow? Considering the fact that she's recently accepted him as her father…" she started before Aurelius shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"This is _Qrow_ you're talking about. Like Ruby told me when I asked her, if you want everyone to have a good time and remember it, you let Tai handle it. If you want it to descend into a drunken orgy of depravity and want everyone to wake up without remembering it, you ask Qrow," he said, getting a smile from Winter.

"I suppose you're right… Especially considering the fact that he's been caught having sex with Summer… was it ten times?"

"Twelve," Aurelius said, frustration clear in his voice. "I really wish they'd finish "making up for lost time" soon so we can stop having to deal with this."

Winter shrugged and stepped over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps we should get going. I'd hate for Qrow to hijack the party because nobody else is there to stop him," she said, smiling at the Blue Rose's shudder before stepping to the door, forcing down the sensation from earlier.

 **And this chapter is finally done, after almost** _ **three months**_ **. I'm so sorry it took this long everyone. For those wondering, the chapter's title is both meant to tie the modern Winter Festival with Sanctuary's "Isolda's Day" that it developed from. Unlike Christmas for us, where many treat it as a time to give gifts mostly, Isolda's Day/the Winter Festival is actually very light on physical gifts and more about good deeds, spending time with others, and giving them what they truly need. Back in Sanctuary's golden age, someone might help a person that needs food by agreeing to spend their own time helping them learn to grow their own gardens, or they might make blankets for someone who needs them rather than how many people today might simply buy them. This, again, is inspired by Isolda's habit of putting aside time every year to make sure the needs of others were met on what became her day, as Aurelius stated, on top of the post-War of Roses exodus making physical gifts you could buy with money of any kind an impossibility and reestablishment of civilization elsewhere causing people to create a tradition of helping others rather than simply giving gifts.**

 **Also, Isolda's horror at the fox getting killed in this chapter isn't meant to convey that she can't stand the thought of killing animals for any reason, but to serve as an indicator of her nature relative to Julius' and as a reminder: while she might be an adult, she's actually maybe a few weeks old, with her first encounter with Marcus/Aurelius being something that happened in her first few days of existence. Likewise, Marcus at this point, or his stance on the situation, is meant to be inspired by a few Native American traditions I've read about. Often, it was considered by various tribes to be wasteful or, from a spiritual stand point, wrong to kill anything for a single purpose. Some tribes tried to make use of as much of an animal as possible, while others are believed to have mastered a technique to remove bark from a tree for building small boats without outright killing it. I'm not sure how many of these stories are true, but it's an interesting way to look at things.**


	63. Chapter 63: Isolda's Day, Part Two

**Sorry for the massive delay. I more or less lost my inspiration for this within a week of the previous chapter and my mood actually hit the lowest it's been at in years. At almost 4000 words, I hope this makes up for it.**

 **The 0bservanc3- the only part of this I can answer without letting anything slip before we get to it is to say that, if anything, the term "Firstborn" would only apply to Aurelius himself. As for everything else, it's either spoilers to mention or something I haven't even decided yet.**

 **AnegOtaku- honestly the delay between chapters made me rethink her hair a bit and I'm not entirely sure if I want such an extreme change to Weiss' hair anymore. Other than that, the last bit of your review made me hilariously self-conscious about my choice of words even though I know it's not a big deal.**

 **Bman000444- I've never heard about fanfiction Friday before but I feel honored that it got on there. Honestly, hearing this was up there got me motivated to get back to writing.**

 **Chapter 63: Isolda's Day: Preparations, Ice Skating, and a Heated Confrontation**

 **Bastion, Ruby and Weiss' home, bedroom**

Weiss let out a yawn as she woke up, stretching slightly under the blanket, ear twitching slightly. She hummed as she looked out the window into the artificial yard of their home before looking at the girl beneath her with a smile. Ruby was still sound asleep, a small, gentle smile on her face. _"And to think there was a time when I actually found you a bit annoying, even if only for a day or two… Gods, that seems like it was so long ago."_ Weiss' smile widened. _"Now, I wouldn't give this up for anything."_

She let out a sigh as she slipped out of bed, quickly sliding into her pajamas, a white and blue-trimmed version of the ones Ruby had lent her in Patch, before walking towards the kitchen, feet padding silently along the carpeted floor of the hallway. "Okay, Weiss. You need today to be perfect," she muttered to herself as she got out a mixing bowl and a few ingredients for cookies. "You just need to make the cookies your amazing girlfriend and mate loves, take her on a walk in the arboretum, and then go out to dinner and- oh no!" Weiss let out a groan and held her head. "Ugh, there's no way I'll be able to make a reservation for any restaurant now… I hate doing things off a whim." She let out a sigh, tail flicking to the side in annoyance. "I'll just have to improvise, I suppose… I hope Ruby likes it."

The fox nodded with a small smile as she got to work, humming as she started making the cookies. Ten minutes later, the smell reached the bedroom, causing Ruby to stir. _"Mmm… Something smells nice…"_ she thought as she rubbed her eyes, slipping out of bed and getting into her pajamas before moving downstairs. She stepped into the kitchen, tail wagging at the smell. She walked up to Weiss and wrapped her into a hug from behind, causing her to jump slightly. "Morning," she said cheerfully.

"Dolt! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Weiss scolded gently, causing Ruby to giggle.

"You're adorable when you're being tsun tsun, you know that, angel?" the wolf said playfully, gently nipping at the fox's earlobe.

Weiss let out a gasp, her cheeks tinted. "Ruby!" she squeaked before playfully pushing the girl away. "Stop, we can do that later!"

Ruby grinned before she spoke up. "Hey, do you mind if we meet up with Tai, mom, Qrow, and some of the other teams from Beacon for a party today? I asked Tai if he'd organize it."

Weiss blinked. "What? But I wanted to just have some alone time with you, Ruby…" she said.

Ruby clasped her hands in front of her, ears flattening slightly as she looked at the fox with pleading eyes. "Please, Weiss? For me?"

" _Great, now I can't say no to her when she gives me that look… I mean, I can still propose at the party and it takes care of the fact I didn't plan this out…"_ Weiss thought as she let out a sigh. "Alright…" she said. "We'll go to the party."

Ruby grinned and threw her arms in the air. "Yay! Thanks, Weiss!" she cheered as she wrapped the girl in a hug. The White Rose rolled her eyes before giving her mate a gentle kiss and stepping back, making Ruby pout.

"Ruby, don't give me that look. I need to finish the cookies," she said, smiling at the excitement that flashed through the younger girl's eyes.

"Cookies? Are you making the ones from my birthday party?" Ruby said, a bright smile on her face as Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Ruby, I'm making those cookies…" she said before sighed. "You're such a dolt sometimes…"

Ruby grinned and giggled. "But I'm _your_ dolt, right?" she said playfully.

Weiss hummed before she stroked the wolf's cheek. "Yes. You're definitely my lovable little dolt," she said before the oven's timer went off. She grinned at the excitement in Ruby's eyes as she pulled the cookies out. "I don't think I remember seeing you this way before we started dating, Ruby."

The wolf shrugged meekly. "I guess it's just that since our lives aren't in danger and there's no reason to be on alert all the time, I can just relax and be myself more instead of being "Ruby Rose, Huntress-in-training," you know?" she responded as she watched the other girl.

Weiss smiled slightly as she put the cookies on the counter. "I'm glad. It means that you feel like you can be yourself around me as much as you make me who I want to be," she said, watching Ruby blush and squirm out of the corner of her eye. _"Gods, Ruby, why do you have to be so adorable when you're embarrassed by praise?"_

"Oh, It's nothing, Weiss. I'm just glad I can help you and make you happy," Ruby said, looking away with a blush. The girl reached for one of the cookies, a questioning look on her face.

Weiss rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, Ruby, you can have some, just don't spoil your breakfast, alright?" she said before Ruby grinned grabbing a cookie.

"Thanks, Weiss! You're the best!" she cheered as she got a glass of milk.

"So you keep telling me," Weiss said with a smile. Ruby's love and praise had been a serious ego boost for her in the two months since Jacques crashed the wolf's birthday. "Hey, Ruby?" The wolf looked at the fox as she shifted shyly. "Thank you… for everything."

Ruby swallowed the bite of her cookie. "Weiss, it's nothing, really," she said, wrapping the other girl in a hug. "All I'm doing is showing you how I feel and giving you the love you deserve. It's not that much…"

Weiss smiled as she returned the hug. "But it means the world to me, so thank you," she said before taking a step back and smiling slightly. "Now button up your shirt already so we can make breakfast."

Ruby let out a squeak and quickly did so. "Sorry!"

Weiss gave a quiet giggle. "It's fine, Ruby, really. Now come on, let's eat and go for a walk, okay?"

"Right! Then we go to the party."

"Of course," Weiss said with a smile. "Don't eat all the cookies though, we'll take some with us." Ruby let out a sigh and nodded happily as she started helping her mate.

 **In the Rose Quarter Arboretum**

"Qrow! We already talked about this! Stay _away_ from the punch!" Tai yelled, a look of frustration on his face.

"C'mon, you damn killjoy, a little booze wouldn't hurt," Qrow said as he took a sip from his flask while Aurelius sighed.

"Qrow, we agreed that you wouldn't drink as much…" Summer said sadly, causing him to pause.

"Look, it's just…" he started before letting out a sigh, putting the cap back on the flask. "You can't just expect me to _stop_ overnight, Sum."

"I get the distinct feeling you asked me to help specifically to break up fights…" Aurelius muttered as Janus stepped forward, stopping next to him.

"We have reports that Councilor Colvin has been attempting to disrupt the faunus' plans to celebrate the Winter Festival," the Prefect whispered quietly. "A few people claim that he's trying to convince the rest of the Valian Council to ban the faunus from taking part in the festivities over the coming days." Winter looked on in shock at this while Aurelius grunted.

"Vale is still very much in ruins and much of the population is living as refugees in Bastion. Remind him that if he expects to have any authority over the people of Vale, he'd get on an airship back down to _his_ city or expect a visit from Loki," he said, causing Janus to glance uneasily at him. "I'd rather have Loki bored with a goal in mind than bored and not having anywhere to direct his frustration…"

Winter paused as she stepped down from a ladder. "Are you sure that's wise?" she asked. "From what I've seen, Loki isn't… _discrete_ about his antics."

The Blue Rose let out a sigh. "I've come to learn that, with individuals such as him, it's best to treat them as a serious and legitimate threat when they start to decide the rules don't apply to them. Loki is simply the easiest way to remind someone this isn't the case."

Winter opened her mouth to protest before her vision clouded briefly.

 **Ancient Draconys**

 _Isolda nervously followed the Marcus as he continued down the path. She'd never seen him upset before and it was unnerving to see the usually-relaxed man so clearly on edge. Before she could say anything he stepped into the clearing and glanced around, quickly spotting one of their brothers. "Julius!" he shouted, getting the man's attention as he turned away from the rest of the group with a roll of his eyes._

" _Well, if it isn't the firstborn returning to grace us with his presence," he said sarcastically. "What brings you here to speak with us?"_

 _Marcus stopped in front of the man and glared at him. "We had an_ agreement _, Julius," he growled out._

 _The man raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you really come all this way over a single insignificant fox?" Julius asked incredulously._

" _The_ why _doesn't matter. I agreed to let you hunt for what you need not for sport!"_

" _Perhaps I needed a fox hide," Julius said condescendingly._

 _Marcus tensed up as he spoke. "I already explained what our deal mea-"_

 _Marcus was cut off as a flame-cloaked fist hit him in the stomach, sending him flying into a tree twenty feet back. Julius let out a sigh as he crossed his arms. "I don't care about your_ childish _rules and demands, Marcus. All you seem interested in is hiding in the woods and just playing with animals."_

 _The rest of the group talked quietly while Isloda looked on in shock, watching Marcus get up, a snarl on his face. His shirt was charred and more than half his cloak had burned away from the hit. The woman blinked in surprise as the torched fabric started to quickly mend itself back into the flawless white it had been before. The quiet laughter from the group ended when they noticed the man's eyes glowing, causing Julius to slip into a more aggressive stance. "I'm tired of you thinking you're above everything and everyone else, Julius!" the white cloaked man growled._

 _Isolda watched in shock as Julius was cloaked in flames, his skin flaking away to reveal jet-black flesh underneath, his coat bulging in the back as something pushed against it, eyes turning deep red. She looked over at Marcus and took a step back. A strange green color was slowly spreading along the veins in his neck and hands before a tiny vine burst out of one of them. The man seemed to either not notice or not be concerned by the development as he continued to glare at Julius._ "W-what's going on?" _she thought quietly, watching the two as Marcus' cloak disintegrated into petals, quickly drifting away from him in a cloud before being pulled into clusters and forming thin plates. Roots crawled out around his feet, rising like tendrils around his boots as his eyes turned silver._

" _Enough, both of you!" a voice said sharply, causing the rest of the group to look in the speaker's direction. Isolda glanced at the two newcomers hesitantly before taking a step back. Two figures stepped forward as one surveyed the gathering. Even at a quick glance it was obvious that the two were twins, sharing the same dark brown hair and light skin. Their eyes, clothes, and mannerisms were the only ways to tell them apart, as Isolda knew that their voices were similar enough as well. The one that spoke up glanced around with pale eyes that glared angrily at the gathering, none of the usual fatherly calmness in his expression or stance._

 _His brother put a hand on his shoulder, a wicked smile on his normally expressionless face. "Now, brother, why don't we just let them have their fun? It's not like they can permanently injure each other, after all," he said with a hint of amusement. His eyes, one red and one brown, shone with bloodlust and excitement._

" _Ah, Helios, Thanatos, you honor us with your presence," Julius said as he turned to face them, his form returning to normal with a slight bow. "Marcus and I were simply having a… disagreement."_

" _Disagreement?" Marcus growled, the air bristling as he clenched his fists. "We had a deal with simple, easy to follow rules and you-"_

" _Marcus!" Helios said, blue and silver eyes glaring at the man as he clasped his hands in front of himself, smoothing his tan robe. "That's enough. Surely you can forgive Julius for this?"_

 _Marcus glared hotly at the Brothers and Julius before he twitched, the roots returning to the ground and vine receding before his cloak reformed. "Fine, I'll let it be for now," he said, turning to leave._

" _Stay," Thanatos said as he stepped forward, adjusting the blood-red tie of his black suit. "Your flaws do not excuse you from being here when we need to speak with your brothers and sisters." Isolda noticed Marcus flinch as he stopped, sighing to turn around and pull his cloak over his shoulders, hiding his frame from view. Isolda felt a pang of regret at the frustration in the man's eyes as the returned to the normal blue before he pulled his hood up, face vanishing under an unnatural shadow._

" _He's right, Marcus," Julius said, a mocking tone in his voice. "You're too much of a hermit for your own good."_

" _I'm tired of you being so condescending when you talk to me, Julius," Marcus snapped quietly before going silent._

 **Modern Times, Bastion**

Winter let out a sigh. "Perhaps it'd have been easier if you held that outlook from the beginning," she muttered, blinking in confusion. _"What do I mean by that? Am I really responding based off daydreams?"_ she thought before she paused, not noticing Aurelius' confused glance. _"Wait, Aurelius said that all of his brothers and sisters had silver eyes when they slipped into the vigil and that he's as vulnerable to fire as any other Rose… The_ Julius _in that daydream had red eyes and Aurelius, if that's who "Marcus" is, had his cloak reform on its own. That can't be right!"_ She let out a relieved sigh before frowning. _"…Right?"_ Winter wouldn't admit it, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to separate the reality of the present and the things she knew from the visions of the past and the illusions of her daydreams.

"Winter, is something the ma-" Aurelius started before he heard a whimper from Summer before the Green Rose ran off to a nearby bathroom. He cast a glance at Qrow. "Is something wrong with Summer?"

Qrow shrugged with a sigh. "She's been like that all day," he said, rubbing his chin.

Aurelius nodded slowly with a sigh. Winter took the opportunity to speak up, finally giving in to the treasonous part of her that latched on to the daydreams. "Aurelius, you said that all the… Stalwarts had silver eyes when they entered the Vigil, correct?" she asked, quickly continuing after getting an odd look from Aurelius. "I can't remember if this is the case and I was trying to get a better picture of what Isolda would have looked like."

The Blue Rose hummed quietly, a distant look in his eyes before he stepped closer to her, whispering quietly. "Honestly, if you want to know the truth, I don't remember seeing any of the others except Julius, Isolda, and myself enter the Vigil. I know Isolda had silver eyes when she slipped into the Vigil, but Julius… I can't actually remember all that much from back then. It just makes sense that it'd be the same for all of us, though."

Winter nodded, slightly disturbed. _"So that's why nobody knows the full story then? Mar- Aurelius himself doesn't recall enough for the full picture… Does that mean that maybe…"_

Her thoughts were cut short by a sigh, causing her to look at Aurelius and follow his gaze as Summer walked back in. "By the gods, I thought I told you to use protection," he said sternly like a parent scolding their child.

Qrow blinked in confusion while Summer whined, ears flattening. "I forgot… I didn't think that this body-"

"I told you that it was meant to become a perfect replica of the body of whatever soul inhabited it," Aurelius continued. "Just because it's not your original doesn't mean-"

"Wait, hold up," Qrow said, glancing between the two. "Are you seriously telling me Sum's pregnant?" Aurelius let out a sigh as he nodded, causing Qrow to turn to face him fully. "And why the hell didn't you tell me that she could get pregnant?"

"I told Summer, I figured she would have told you," he said, glancing at Summer.

"I take responsibility," she said weakly before sitting down. "I think we should wait a day or two to let Ruby know, though." Aurelius and Qrow nodded quietly as they got back to work, leaving Winter confused by the situation while Qrow couldn't help the smile on his face.

 **Bastion, Central Arboretum, with Ruby and Weiss**

Weiss let out a content sigh as she walked along a path through the snow-filled fields, hand clasping Ruby's. "It's amazing that they could make a place like this, even if it's someone like Aurelius," she said idly.

Ruby grinned. "Yeah, but it's only the second most amazing thing here," she said, squeezing Weiss' hand.

The fox rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Dolt, just because you say it doesn't mean it's true… but thank you," she said, giving Ruby a peck on the lips.

"It's true though! You're so amazing and I'm glad to see you in your normal outfit again!" Ruby chirped.

Weiss sighed, shaking her head at how much Ruby liked her dress, more than normal after she had the Schnee family crest replaced with a modified Rose crest that had a snowflake in the middle. "Ruby, it's not like it's been forever since I wore something other than jeans and a t-shirt."

"I know, but you look a lot better in white anyways and the dress really suits you!" Ruby said with a grin, causing Weiss to roll her eyes.

"Well, I suppose if it makes you happy, I'm glad I still have it. Honestly I like it too, it reminds me that not _everything_ changed," Weiss said with a soft smile.

Ruby shrugged. "I mean, your hair's barely changed and it's been a few months…" she said, causing Weiss to hum quietly. Unlike what Aurelius stated and they expected, Weiss' hair stayed mostly white. The black only reached about one or two inches up her hair from her tips and the roots had turned black.

Weiss shrugged slightly. "I mean, I can always dye it white or make it fit the Rose family theme if I want…" she said casually as she glanced at a nearby frozen pond. She smiled as she looked over the flat surface. "Hey Ruby, have you ever tried ice skating?"

Ruby blinked in confusion before shrugging. "I mean, not really. It wasn't anything I put thought into. Why?"

Weiss looked at her mate with a grin, tugging her to the frozen surface. "Come on, how about I show you?" she asked as Ruby shifting uneasily.

"I don't know… We don't even have ice skates and-" Ruby started before Weiss rolled her eyes and lifted a foot, humming as she quickly made a set of ice skates with her semblance. "…I don't know how to skate."

Weiss let out a sigh. "I'll teach you, okay? Please?" she asked, looking at Ruby hopefully.

The Red Rose pouted. "That's no fair, I thought the puppy dog eyes were _my_ thing…" she whined before nodding. "Okay…" Weiss grinned and got to work, making Ruby a pair of skates and carefully pulling her onto the ice. "Alright, so just show me what to do."

Weiss nodded, tail twitching as she started moving along the surface, making sure to stay just fare enough away that Ruby could see how she moved. She staggered slightly as her tail twitched, holding up a hand to both balance herself and prevent Ruby from moving to help. "I've never done this with the tail," the fox muttered shyly as she tried again. After a few attempts, Weiss smiled as she quickly figured out how to adjust her movements and turned to face Ruby. "See? Give it a try."

Ruby nodded quietly, taking a brief moment to process the demonstration. _"Right, so I have to be careful how I shift my weight… and make sure my tail doesn't twitch…"_ she thought as she started moving slowly, smiling as she started to become more comfortable with the motions. She looked at Weiss with a grin. "Easy!" she said.

Weiss grinned as she started moving, picking up the pace as she moved gracefully along the ice. _"Let's see just how good your secondary semblance is, Ruby,"_ she thought as she slid to a stop, putting the momentum into a spin. Ruby watched in awe as Weiss pulled her arms in, spinning faster before outstretching them, letting herself slow down to face the wolf with a grin. "Well?"

Ruby let out a whine. "That's not fair, that takes more than just watching to figure out," she said with a pout, causing Weiss to roll her eyes with a grin as she moved closer. "Hey Weiss? Where did you learn to ice skate?"

Weiss shrugged, a distant look on her face. "Before I took up singing, I tried a number of things to try to find something to call my own," she said, tapping her chin. "I tried painting for a while, but lost interest around the time I took up fencing and probably can't make anything of any real quality. There was a bit of overlap between the ice skating and fencing but doing both at the same time was too exhausting and by the time my endurance was good enough for both skating was more a thing I did out of boredom or for nostalgia. I used to play the piano, but…" Weiss shrugged quietly as she looked around. "This is a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Ruby nodded with a grin. "Yeah, but it looks even better right now," she said with a wink, causing Weiss to blush.

" _This would be a good time to ask, wouldn't it?"_ Weiss thought before taking a breath. "Ruby?" she started, getting the girl's attention. "Before we go to the party there's something I need to-"

"Oh gods, the party!" Ruby said with a whine, grabbing Weiss' hand. "We're going to be late, c'mon!" The wolf started pulling the fox along, getting a frustrated growl in return.

" _Why do you have to be such a scatterbrained dolt, Ruby?"_ she thought before taking a slow breath. _"Calm down, Weiss… just have patience with her, you can ask at the party…"_

 **And we're finally moving again. Next chapter's the actual party, more looking back at the past, and something I'm sure a lot of people are getting anxious waiting for. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.**


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